By law, the state of Berlin requires Berlin dog owners to register their dog with a private company at their own expense. The most recent deadline for this ends this month, but appears to be largely ignored. There will be a litmus test on Thursday: will other parties in the House of Representatives follow the FDP’s proposal in the environment committee to replace the 2016 dog law (original sound) with a “non-bureaucratic dog keeping law” with the abolition of compulsory registration?
FDP complains about bureaucratic monsters when registering Berlin dogs
According to the leader of the FDP parliamentary group, Sebastian Chai, the dog registry is a nanny without any added value. Even before that, dog owners could register and chip their four-legged friends through private initiatives and associations, and for free.
“Anyone who hasn’t registered their dog before won’t do it now, especially because meeting the registration obligation seems illusory given the very small number of dogs today,” Chaya said. Because just over 21,000 Berliners have registered their four-legged friends. If you follow the figures of the tax authorities who collect the tax on dogs, it should be more than 120,000.
It would take a lot of effort and time for the Berlin administration to arrest those who refuse and collect a fine. Due to data protection, she cannot use the knowledge of the tax authorities. As little as their data can be used to tweak the registry.
Up to 26.50 euros for registering a dog.
The new register should help to simplify the allocation of lost dogs to their owners and give an idea of how many dogs are kept in which parts of Berlin. This should be the basis for catchment planning. Registration costs €17.50 online and €26.50 by mail.
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“Dog owners in Berlin are already subject to the country’s highest dog tax and are further burdened by the dog registry,” Chaiya said. “The kennel registry should be abolished.” The obligation to register is also not liked by many dog owners: back in February, a demonstration against the new regulations took place in front of the Red Town Hall.
Senate sees no reason to change dog law
From the point of view of the Senate, all this is not a reason to question the draft. In order to make the dog registry even more known, posters with relevant information should be placed in veterinary clinics, for example, said Bettina Jarash (The Greens), a representative of the environmental and consumer protection department. The administration does not see any backlash in the price for registration. Offer only to cover costs.