The government has approved a proposed amendment for a significant overhaul of the Animal Welfare Act, deemed as one of the most extensive updates.
Germany's government recently proposed a playback of its Animal Welfare Act, planned to include strict measures for pet and farm animal care, dog breeding, and online pet trade, as explained by Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens). This is considered "the most significant revision of the Animal Welfare Act in many years."
However, an extensive exemption pertaining to the proposed abolishment of cattle tethering is supposed to take place gradually. The ministry specified that tethering cattle permanently in stalls will be completely banned after a ten-year transition period. Moreover, small farms will be allowed to practice seasonal tethering in the future.
The provisions for so-called "torture breeding" are expanded, encompassing additional animal anguish inflicted on bred animals. The ministry clarified that it encompasses symptoms such as blindness, deafness, or respiratory distress if they are hereditary and evoke painful feelings in these animals. Sellers of animals on the internet must divulge their personal information to the platforms.
Additional stipulations include the restrictions on the presence of elephants, giraffes, or hippopotamuses in circuses' stock. They can no longer be procured but might be retained. To ensure tighter regulation, stricter penalties will be imposed on severe animal welfare law violations like the unwarranted killing or mistreatment of animals.
Özdemir unveiled his draft reform last year, but evidently, several modifications were made to reach an agreement with the coalition partners. In response, the Animal Welfare Association vehemently condemned the latest version, hoping that parliamentary groups in the Bundestag would amend this "erroneous" decision, stated the organization's president, Thomas Schröder.
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Source: www.ntv.de
