Dogs confined in cars for long periods of time in extreme heat. Abuses in the puppy trade over the Internet. Severe contamination in stables – the list of tips from the public at the animal welfare ombudsman for Upper Austria is long. The ombudsman processed a total of 612 inquiries about animal welfare in 2022, most of which related to dogs and cats and the keeping of farm animals.
“Various incidents show us that animal welfare needs to be promoted and brought into focus,” says Tierschutzlandesrat Michael Lindner (SP).
tougher laws
A significant increase was recorded in administrative penal proceedings in 2022. While only 89 cases were initiated in cattle and 86 cases in dogs and cats in 2020, the cases in dogs and cats have now tripled.
Whether the laws regarding animal cruelty should be further tightened? “A lot can be solved through laws, but not everything. Our main concern is to raise public awareness of this issue. Animal welfare must be the priority, an animal must not be seen as an object,” says the Animal Welfare Councilor .
Cruel breeding of dogs and cats is one of the main topics of the animal welfare ombudsman in Upper Austria. “The law must be tightened up here. It shouldn’t just be about an animal’s appearance, but about its health. If this is no longer the case – which is very often the case with French bulldogs – then we have to take action.” , says animal welfare ombudswoman Cornelia Rouha-Müllleder.
In livestock farming, too, cattle are sometimes still tied without allowing them sufficient movement. “Such a ban would at least represent an important step,” says the animal welfare ombudswoman, referring to a project that will be carried out in elementary schools in the autumn: “Animal welfare goes to school” is intended to familiarize children with the correct handling of animals – “ultimately they will be responsible for it in the future,” says Lindner.
author
Karoline Ploberger
Editor Upper Austria
Karoline Ploberger
