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Merge 104.8 | 20 August 2020
German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner has announced she will introduce a new law that will require dog owners to walk their dogs at least twice a day, for a total of at least one hour.
The new regulations would also forbid owners from chaining dogs for long periods of time, or leaving them alone all day.
According to Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), around one in five German homes has a dog; and over 9 million dogs are kept as pets in the country.
“Pets are not cuddly toys — and their needs have to be considered,” said Klöckner.
She said her ministry was acting in accordance with “new scientific research about dogs”.
The new regulations will also affect breeders of dogs, who will now be restricted to keeping a maximum of three female animals and their puppies at a time.
There will also be new rules governing requirements for dogs’ living space, with stipulations in place for minimum area and maximum temperatures in their living conditions.
Klöckner said that, with current summer temperatures, it’s crucial to ensure dogs’ safety and well-being by minimizing the risk of “avoidable suffering through the heat.” These stipulations also apply to transportation methods for the animals as well.
