Golden Retrieverwelpen Portrait.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

On this page you will find frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers on the following topics:

Questions about the donation

To keep our administrative costs low, donation receipts are sent out once a year. They are sent automatically by post in February of the following year. If you need the receipt earlier, we can also send it directly on request. Donations of up to €300 can also be claimed for tax purposes without a formal donation receipt; a bank statement or similar is sufficient.

You can choose from the following payment options:

  • Direct debit
  • credit card
  • Paypal

Our donation account:

Sparkasse KölnBonn
IBAN: DE 88 37050198 0000040444
BIC: COLS DE 33

As a non-profit association and umbrella organization for animal shelters and animal welfare organizations in Germany, the issue of donation security is very important to us. We are a founding member of the German Donations Council and have committed ourselves to the transparent use of funds and compliance with ethical standards in fundraising. We also support the Transparent Civil Society Initiative. You can also download our annual report there, which explains how we use our donations.

You can find more general information on the topic of donation security and what you should look out for when donating on our donation security page.

We will of course take this into account and can provide your data with a corresponding advertising block.

Contact form

A standing donation can be canceled in writing at any time before the next direct debit is due.

Contact form

Earmarked donations are used exclusively for their intended purpose. General, non-earmarked donations are instead used where they are needed for our projects and animal welfare organizations.

Do you have a happy occasion to celebrate and would like to do something good at the same time?

If you are one of those people who already have everything or who wish for nothing more than good health, then we have a wonderful idea for you: instead of flowers and presents, simply ask your guests to make a donation to animals in need.

You can find out exactly how it works here:

Donations instead of gifts

Saying goodbye to a loved one is not an easy task for the bereaved. Funeral services in the company of comforting people make an important contribution to coping with the loss.

If the deceased had a big heart for animals, it can be a sign of hope to ask the mourners for donations for animals in need before the ceremony instead of flowers. In this way, a special concern of the deceased is brought back to life for all to see.

Bereavement donation

Gift donation - link to donation formAlternatively, you can also use the HelpCard to surprise an animal-loving person with a special and sustainable gift. It is an individually designed gift card in cheque card format with which you can support our animal welfare projects. The recipient of the HelpCard decides for themselves which animal welfare projects the value of the card should be donated to.

Information about the HelpCard

You can find detailed information on donating an estate on our wills page.

Learn more

We are a founding member of the German Donations Council and, as part of our membership, have committed to the transparent use of funds and compliance with ethical standards in fundraising. We were one of the first member organizations to be awarded the German Donations Council's newly introduced donation certificate on 30 May 2017.

You can find all further information here.

To the donation transparency

You can find everything you need to know about donation security on the following page.

Donation security

You can find all information about our privacy policy here.

Privacy policy

Questions about sponsoring membership

As a supporting member, you secure the financial basis of our animal welfare work and give our projects planning security. Your commitment helps animals in need and ensures that the public is made aware of abuses and that politicians are held accountable. Together we give animals a voice! Our supporting members help us to help the animals. Money is not the only thing needed to counterbalance the overwhelming power of animal users. Every voice that is raised for the animals helps to ensure that animals in our care are finally granted a life without suffering.

Become a supporting member

  • You will receive our quarterly magazine "DU UND DAS TIER" with up-to-date information from the world of animal welfare.
  • Our experts will advise you on animal welfare issues.
  • You are a supporting member of Europe's largest animal and nature conservation umbrella organization and give animals a voice.
  • Your sponsorship contribution is tax-deductible.

Membership costs €64 per year. There is a reduced rate for pupils, students and pensioners for €32 per year. You can also pay your membership fee every six months, quarterly or monthly.

The annual contribution is always stated. You are of course welcome to donate more, the amount will be adjusted to the payment frequency.

The amount is always collected on the first working day of the month.

The sponsoring membership can be terminated in writing at any time before the next collection. This does not apply to gift memberships: these end automatically after one year.

Contact form

The sponsorship contribution is an important basis for our work, as the German Animal Welfare Federation is mainly financed by donations. Only with your commitment can we provide immediate aid for animal shelters in need, educate the public about animal cruelty with campaigns and activities, fight in advisory and decision-making bodies to protect animals from further suffering and harm and maintain our long-term animal welfare projects.

Yes, you can. In this way, you can support animal welfare directly and surprise your loved ones with a special gift at the same time. A gift membership is limited to one year and ends automatically, no separate notice of termination is required.

Give a gift membership!

We do not currently offer family memberships.

We will automatically send you the donation receipts in February of the following year.

Questions about sponsorship

You can sponsor individual animals housed in our Weidefeld animal welfare center for as little as € 7.00 per month. We offer project sponsorships from € 19.00 per month for our animal welfare centers in Odessa and Weidefeld, among others. Click here for our animal and project sponsorships. You can also give these sponsorships as a gift to other animal lovers: Give a sponsorship as a gift.

With a "symbolic" sponsorship, you commit yourself to an animal of your choice and help us to fulfill the diverse tasks in our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center. A sponsored animal can therefore have several sponsors. The money from the sponsorships is used for food, care and support of the animals and goes exclusively to the respective animal welfare facilities. You can sponsor an animal for as little as €7 per month or give one as a gift:
Sponsor an animal
Sponsor an animal as a gift

You are welcome to visit the animals at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center. You can find visitor information at www.tierschutzzentrum-weidefeld.de/besuch

The Sonnenhof does not currently have public visiting hours, further information can be found at tierschutz-sonnenhof.de

A sponsorship can be terminated in writing at any time before the next move-in. This does not apply to gift sponsorships: These end automatically after one year.

Contact form

Once a year you will receive a progress report on your sponsorship.

Yes, you can. In this way, you support animal welfare directly and at the same time surprise your loved ones with a special gift. Gift sponsorships are limited to 1 year and do not need to be canceled.

Give a sponsorship as a gift!

We will automatically send you the donation receipts in February of the following year.

General questions about your support

The easiest way is to send us your new contact details in writing. You can do this in the following ways:

In the area of active animal welfare, the local animal welfare associations affiliated with us are particularly grateful for every helping hand. Whether animal welfare advice, public relations work or other topics: Many of our member associations offer voluntary work in a wide variety of areas. Please enquire locally about the opportunities and requirements.

You can find all our member associations sorted by federal state.

If you observe that animals are being badly kept or tortured, you can contact the local veterinary office with your information (exact details of place, time, events, any witnesses). In acute emergency situations, you can also inform the police, who will involve the veterinary office. The veterinary office is the authority of the district administration responsible for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. It can inspect the animal husbandry in question on the basis of existing regulations and impose conditions to improve conditions. The veterinary office needs first-hand information, which is why eyewitnesses should ideally contact them themselves. Our member associations are happy to provide assistance. If the local animal welfare association needs the help of the umbrella organization to make progress in a case of animal cruelty, it can contact the federal office.

Help in animal welfare cases

Donation

With a donation, which you can also use specifically for certain projects or campaigns, you can help us on a one-off basis, at irregular intervals or - with a permanent donation - on a regular basis. You can find our online donation form here:

Donation form

 

Supporting membership

As a supporting member, you support us with a fixed annual contribution (regular contribution €64 and reduced contribution €32), which is used for all our work and for all facilities, for example for the Academy for Animal Welfare. As a supporting member, you will also receive our association magazine DU UND DAS Tier four times a year free of charge. You can find our online membership form here:

Become a member

 

Sponsorship

You can sponsor individual animals housed in our animal welfare center in Weidefeld for as little as € 7.00 per month - from € 19.00 per month we offer project sponsorships for our animal welfare centers in Odessa and Weidefeld, among others. You can find our sponsorship form here:

To the sponsorships

We will of course take this request into account and block your data record in our donor database.

Contact form

Seal audits such as those carried out by the DZI involve a great deal of effort and therefore internal costs. That is why we are taking a different approach to the issue of donation transparency and control of funds.

In 2017, the German Donations Council, of which we have been a founding member since 1993, introduced the awarding of a seal following an audit by independent auditors. On 30 May 2017, the German Animal Welfare Federation was one of the first member organizations to be awarded the German Donations Council's newly introduced donation certificate, which is valid for three years. On May 12, 2020, the German Animal Welfare Federation was again awarded the donation certificate.

In times of high transparency and against the background of economic considerations, we believe that there is no need to carry two donation seals of approval that are subject to a charge. Therefore, after careful consideration, the German Animal Welfare Federation has come to the conclusion that it should concentrate on one donation seal, namely that of the German Donations Council, which it co-founded.

Nevertheless, the German Animal Welfare Federation will continue to follow the guidelines of the DZI and remain committed to its goals.

No suitable answer found?

Our sponsor communications team is available to answer your questions from Monday to Friday 8:00 - 18:00. You can also reach us in the following ways:

Donate now