Pet adoption explosion in Germany
Like other countries, Germany has seen an explosion in pet adoption in the pandemic. But exactly how many pets have been adopted?
The number of dogs sold in the country increased by a “dramatic” 20 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year, according to the Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH) kennel club.
Overall, the number of pets in German households climbed by almost one million to nearly 35 million, figures from the Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers (IVH) show.
But there is also a dark side to the surging demand for pets, with the number of dogs sold illegally in Germany more than doubling between 2019 and 2020, according to the German Animal Welfare Association.
Such dogs are typically bred abroad in poor conditions and then sold to German consumers for a premium price—but often turn out to be sick or difficult to handle, leading to them being abandoned.
“Demand is insanely high and all the animal welfare organisations have practically no animals left. Of course, this means that the illegal trade is thriving,” says Berlin shelter spokeswoman Annette Rost.
Source: LiveMint