Germany’s culture war over animal welfare  - The World from PRX
theworld.org
Germany’s dachshund clubs say a new animal protection law could effectively outlaw their beloved sausage dog, whose long body and short legs can cause painful spine problems. Farmers are outraged with proposals in the law for how they should raise their livestock. Now, a culture war is brewing in Germany’s cities and hinterlands, with dachshunds, cows and their humans as unlikely standard-bearers.

Dachshunds are famed for their sausage shape, but their extra-long backs and extra-short legs can create crippling strain on their spines. This animal welfare bill would ban what it calls “torture breeding” — the breeding of animals with structural disabilities — not just of dachshunds with bad backs, but German shepherds with bad hips or French bulldogs with breathing problems.

Dachshund owners say they’ve got the problem under control, and that a breeding ban, rather than helping, could doom the dachshund. More than 18,000 people have signed a petition against the bill, and the national dachshund club has mounted a pressure campaign on legislators.

The bill isn’t just about dog breeding. It is meant to protect all kinds of animals in places from livestock farms to circuses to slaughterhouses. Germany already has one of the world’s strongest animal welfare laws, with animal protection written into its national constitution. Some 90% of Germans support stronger legal protections for animal welfare. That makes the debate more complicated than a simple for or against.

  • einkorn
    12·
    1 month ago

    Some 90% of Germans support stronger legal protections for animal welfare. That makes the debate more complicated than a simple for or against.

    Why? If a law passes with 90% support in a democracy, the other 10% clearly have failed to make reasonable arguments against it. Given that most laws nowadays pass with quite a bit less than that, I fail to see the problem.

    Also, if your hobby or business relies on hurting other beings it is not a good hobby/business.