In Germany, the rights of animals are guaranteed by law. Germany's current Animal Welfare Law is recognized as the most stringent animal protection law in the world, and animal rights protection has even been written into the constitution. In addition to the law, there are also animal rescue agencies that take care of the poor who spread things. In general, the sky is falling and there are people and the system, and the only thing the little guys need to worry about is how to eat, drink and play better.

Walking around the streets of major cities in Germany, you will find an interesting phenomenon, that is, stray animals are rarely seen. All animals seen on the street are accompanied by their owners. In addition, most of the pets are fully equipped and free, while the owners are gentle and considerate. There are few scenes such as pulling and berating, and there is a look of little master auspicious everywhere.

Why do animals live so happily?

This starts with Germany's strict laws and regulations and supporting animal rescue agencies.

Like people, the rights of animals in Germany are guaranteed by law.

The current German Animal Welfare Act has been revised and expanded many times. The law includes 13 chapters and 22 major clauses, and is recognized as the most stringent animal protection law in the world.

The German Civil Code stipulates that the owner of an animal, when exercising his or her authority, shall comply with special regulations on animal protection. The range of animals includes both wild and domestic animals.

At the same time, there are 13 articles concerning animal protection in Germany's Federal Nature Protection Act.

On May 17, 2002, the German Federal Parliament voted overwhelmingly to incorporate animal protection into the Basic Law, the German constitution. One of the important changes in this revision is the addition of the words and animals after people. As a result, Germany became the first country in the European Union to write animal rights protection into its constitution. The federal court has also clearly demonstrated more awareness of animal protection in subsequent animal case judgments.

In 2007, the German Bundestag revised the Animal Welfare Act again. The new regulations include prohibiting the sale of pets to people under the age of 16, and owners must ensure that their pets are not psychologically protected from foreigners. distortion and damage, etc.

The law is not enough, there must be an animal rescue organization.

In 1881, several animal protection organizations and sanctuaries in Germany merged to form the German Society for the Protection of Animals. The association works to effectively stop animal cruelty and is headquartered in Bonn. Today, it has grown to include more than 700 organizations from 16 countries and territories, and has established more than 500 animal shelters and emergency rooms, rescuing about 300,000 animals each year.

Abandoning pets is illegal in Germany. But in real life, there are still pets abandoned for various subjective or objective reasons. If people see stray animals on the street, they will call the police or notify animal rescuers. Under normal circumstances, the animals that have been pets have been implanted with chips, and the staff can find the owner based on the chip information and send it back to the owner's home. If the owner is unable to continue to take care of the pet due to force majeure, such as arrest, hospitalization, or even death, the shelter will be responsible for the rest of their lives.

Animal shelters in Germany are run by the Society for the Protection of Animals and are not-for-profit organizations. Here, lost or abandoned animals are cared for. Animals without microchips will undergo professional health examinations here, complete procedures such as deworming, vaccination, and microchipping, and wait for adoption; animals with microchips will be publicly adopted if they cannot wait for their owners.

As a non-profit organization, where does the animal shelter's revenue come from? One important way is adoption fees.

A woman sits with her pet dog on a grass in the German capital Berlin. Photo by Stefan Zeitz (Xinhua)

German pet stores prohibit the sale of pets, and only certified breeding owners can sell them. Purchasing pets, however, is expensive, with a young Labrador puppy selling for as much as 2,000 euros. Adopting a pet is very cheap, usually about one-tenth of the cost. These fees can partially share the operating expenses of the containment center.

According to the statistics of the German Animal Protection Association, the pet adoption rate in Germany is as high as 90%. Eighty percent of the animals in the shelter find new owners within six weeks. Even the poor who has been unadopted can live a healthy life in the shelter.

In Germany, adopting a pet is as serious as adopting a child. Those who want to adopt animals need to attend special training and pass exams to obtain qualifications. If you want to adopt a large dog or special dog, the adopter also needs to undertake additional studies and obtain special qualifications. After adoption, the owner must participate in a 3-month professional training with the pet, such as establishing a code of conduct for taking buses and subways. The Animal Association will also conduct a rigorous review of the adopter's economic conditions, adoption motives, and family environment. After the adoption is successful, the staff of the Animal Association will visit regularly to learn about the pet's living condition and evaluate whether the adopter's family conditions can continue to meet the pet's growth needs.

Of course, for the little masters, these issues are all the masters need to worry about. What they really deserve to care about is how to eat, drink and play better. Don't worry about that either. In the public activity spaces of German cities, there are separate spaces like children's playgrounds for pets. Although supermarkets in Germany are divided into different categories such as general, daily chemicals, and food, pet food and supplies can be bought in any supermarket.

It is no wonder that the happiness of the German little masters is so overwhelming!