“Sausage Dogs to be banned in Germany,” screamed headlines in the UK this week.
Germany’s biggest-selling newspaper Bild went full circle, fascinated by the panic: “Brits Fear for the German Sausage Dog.”
The story arose from the German Kennels Association (VDH), which has launched a petition against a draft law that aims to clamp down on breeding that leads animals to suffer.
Will the dachshund or any other breed be banned? The short answer is no.
Under the proposed Animal Protection Act, certain traits would be defined in dogs that can cause “pain, suffering or damage”.
The VDH fears this could lead to a ban on breeding sausage dogs, because their short legs and elongated spine can lead to knee, hip and back problems. Other breeds, such as bulldogs or pugs, which can have breathing problems, could also be targeted, says the association.
“No dog breeds will be banned,” a spokesman for the Green-led agriculture ministry told me bluntly. “We want to prevent breeders from deforming dogs so much, that they suffer.”
The government’s argument is that dog breeds are continually developing and at risk of having increasingly extreme characteristics.
So breeding dogs with specific traits, such as skeletal abnormalities, that lead to suffering, poor health or a short life expectancy, would no longer be allowed. “Just because people find something new or aesthetically pleasing, animals shouldn’t be tormented,” said the ministry’s spokesman.
So-called “torture breeding” has been illegal in Germany for three decades. But until now the law has been vague and open to interpretation.
