Pass dog exhibition on the Possen: Dispute for torture breeding continues to brew!

Pass dog exhibition on the Possen: Dispute for torture breeding continues to brew!

The first national pedigree dog exhibition will take place on the Possen near Sondershausen next weekend. This event attracted a lot of attention after it was laid due to tensions between the organizer and the Veterinary Office Erfurt. The background to the dispute are the strict requirements for agony that were required for the original event in Erfurt, which finally led to the cancellation in May. The veterinary office asked for additional heart investigations and performance tests, which drove the costs so that only 200 to 400 animals were expected for Erfurt - a number that was not sustainable compared to the financial expenses. The VDH regional association makes the additional costs responsible for the decline in registrations and complained of the requirements of the veterinary office, but a decision has been pending. In the Kyffhäuserkreis, the situation looks very different: no additional requirements apply here beyond the legal requirements, which makes the event cheaper.

agony is a topic that is hotly debated in dog friends and breeders. According to the provisions of the Animal Welfare Dog Ordinance, characteristics such as hairlessness, short snouts and skin folds are prohibited at all exhibitions. These characteristics often lead to health impairments such as shortness of breath or joint problems. The animal protection association has repeatedly emphasized that the Animal Welfare Act in Paragraph 11b prohibits the breeding of animals that suffer from health consequences. Nevertheless, criticism of breeding practice and the traditional breeds have still been loud. The advocates of the new regulations warn that popular dog breeds could be threatened by these restrictions.

protests and demands

The animal protection organization PETA is particularly careful and announced protests to request a stricter approach to agony. The VDH has campaigned for the health of the dogs for years, started discussions with official veterinarians and developed concepts to optimize the requirements for breeding. In this context you also have to consider the emerging amendment to the Animal Welfare Act. Lisa Hoth-Zimak, specialist for pets at the German Animal Welfare Association, particularly criticizes the long transition periods of 15 years because they could mean additional pain and suffering for the animals.

The discussion about the animal welfare dog regulation is in full swing. A large number of major events, including Erfurt, Lingen and Dortmund, are affected by the new regulations. These contain an exhibition ban for dogs with agony characteristics, whereby the authorities partially use outdated data. The controversial quen database and previous reports do not consider the reality of the dogs in the VDH. It is also important to mention that many dogs that participate in events are not intended for breeding, which brings an additional dimension into the discussion.

an outlook on the exhibition

Despite all these challenges, the national pedigree dog exhibition on the Obsen becomes an important event for breeders and dog lovers. It offers a platform to pursue the latest developments in dog breeding and to find out about the applicable regulations. However, the upcoming protests of animal welfare organizations illustrate the urgency with which the topic of agony must be brought into focus. It remains to be seen how the legal framework will develop and what effects this will have on breeding practice.