Registration in the dog register: fee is legal
The administrative fee of 17.50 euros for registering a dog in Berlin's new dog register is lawful. This was ruled by the Berlin Administrative Court, dismissing the complaint of a dog owner (judgment of September 28, 2023 - VG 37 K 256/22).
Since January 1, 2022, all dog owners in Berlin have been obliged to register their animal in a central register. This register is managed on behalf of the state by a company in Hanover, which charges a one-off fee of 17.50 euros for online registration.
The plaintiff had filed a lawsuit against this, among other things, because she did not consider it necessary to register her dog - after all, she had already registered it on a private online portal. However, the court did not agree.
According to the court, the central register - in contrast to voluntary private portals or registration with the tax office - makes it possible to reliably identify lost dogs. It also makes it easier for the injured party to assert claims under private law in the event of bite incidents. The moderate fee of 17.50 euros is based on a comprehensible calculation.
According to the information provided, an application for permission to appeal against the ruling can be submitted to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg. It was issued on September 28, but was only announced by the administrative court on Wednesday.
The Berlin Administrative Court's decision to uphold the 17.50 euro fee for dog registration is a significant judgment for animal owners. Despite some dog owners' arguments that private registration is sufficient, the court emphasized the importance of a central register for identifying lost pets and resolving bite incident disputes, justifying the moderate fee.
Source: www.dpa.com
