Dahlen increases dog tax: owner now pays more!

Dahlen increases dog tax: owner now pays more!

In Dahlen there will be reason to pull out your wallet in the future: the dog tax will be increased from next year. How lvz.de reports, the owner of a dog will in future have to shell out 65 euros annually instead of the current 50 euros. For dangerous dogs, the tax even increases from 320 euros to 416 euros per year. These changes also make it necessary to take a look at the neighboring town of Belgern-Schildau, where taxes are also being increased. The price of the first dog there increases from 40 euros to 60 euros.

What is behind these increases? Mayor Matthias Löwe makes it clear that dog owners' responsibility for order and cleanliness in the city is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, the increase in the dog tax is linked to the assumption that there are more than the officially registered 300 dogs in Dahlen, as many dogs are probably not registered. This number could increase in the future if the tax adjustments take effect.

Higher taxes for owners of multiple dogs

Anyone who has more than one dog will also have to dig deeper into their pockets. The second dog of conventional breeds costs 95 euros instead of 80 euros, and each additional dangerous dog costs 760 euros. A tax reduction of 25 euros remains for certain breeds of dogs, while guide dogs and service dogs are still tax-free.

As the city administration reports, there will also be an administration fee of 5 euros if someone loses their dog tax tag. It is interesting that the kennel tax for dog breeding was deleted from the statutes, as such breeding is apparently rather rare in Dahlen.

Comparison to Belgern-Schildau

The increase Dahlen is aiming for is higher than that in Belgern-Schildau, which is also expected to adjust in the next few years. From January 1, 2026, taxes will rise from 80 to 100 euros for the second dog and to 150 euros for the third and subsequent dogs. A point that will certainly put a few more worry lines on the foreheads of dog owners in Dahlen.

The adjustments to the dog tax are not only a response to the desire for more order in the city, but also to the fact that dog owners in Dahlen have greater responsibility for their four-legged companions. As city officials emphasize, this measure is an important step towards improving coexistence between owners and their dogs.

For dog owners in Dahlen this now means adjusting to the changes in good time and taking the new tax rate into account when planning their finances next year.