What needs to change
Seven animal welfare demands for politicians
If a three-party coalition is actually formed, the cards will also be reshuffled when it comes to animal welfare. It would actually be expected that some goodies would be distributed here. After all, both the SPÖ and the NEOS introduced or demanded a number of proposals for improvement during the election campaign.
We Austrians want there to be no "puppy factories", for the meat on our plates to come from species-appropriate husbandry and for our politicians to keep an eye on the protection of all animals.
To ensure that these do not remain pious wishes, the "Krone" is making demands on politicians to ensure that at least seven important issues do not slip out of the negotiation catalog.
Mandatory origin labeling in the catering industry has long been overdue. The public is also vehemently demanding that animal products be labeled as to how they were reared, and Germany is already leading the way.
There is a label on every sweater and every bottle of wine that provides information about the place of production - which is why it must finally be possible to find this information on restaurant menus. We want to know whether our food comes from Austria! During the election campaign, Andreas Babler (SPÖ), for example, promised his support for this issue.
The puppy business is highly lucrative - around 72,000 new dogs are purchased in Austria every year. The commercial value of dogs from "unknown sources" is estimated at 38 million euros in Austria. Stricter rules are needed - so that buyers don't buy a pig in a poke!
Traceable origin
One simple way to prevent illegal trade would be to make it compulsory to enter the animal in the existing pet database before it is sold. It must be clearly traceable where the animal was born, who the breeder of the puppy is and who the parent animals are. Animal welfare organizations that bring dogs from abroad to Austria should also have to register the animal before they pass it on. This would make the path of the four-legged friend traceable for the buyer and also for the authorities!
In September, Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) gave cause for hope in response to an inquiry in the "Krone" newspaper: "The measures to curb the illegal puppy trade in Austria are completely inadequate. There is an urgent need for more controls and an adjustment of criminal liability in the case of the public offering of these dogs on the Internet and also for acts committed abroad."
No politician can be against this in times of crisis. It is incomprehensible that people breed and sell dogs, cats, rabbits or other animals but do not pay taxes for them. The popular excuse "it's just a hobby" should no longer apply. After all, anyone who runs a hobby has no income from it - or are you aware of such a case?
A kennel should also be subject to a permit requirement in any case; currently, an informal email with notification to the authorities is sufficient. However, the dog breeding umbrella organization ÖKV (Österreichischer Kynologen Verband) is acting in a completely incomprehensible manner. "Over-regulation and impractical restrictions are weakening domestic dog breeding", said ÖKV President Philipp Ita - who is considered close to the ÖVP - in a recent press release. However, there is no mention of any concrete proposals or measures.
For years, there have been calls for an end to fully slatted floors. The permanent tethering of cattle is also tolerated due to loopholes in the law. Many farmers are financially overstretched with the necessary conversions. Subsidies for good husbandry - but also the labeling in the catering trade and on foodstuffs, which is also called for - would help farmers to market their products better.
During the election campaign, Andreas Babler (SPÖ) stated that the SPÖ is committed to ensuring that there are no agricultural subsidies for farms that keep animals in cruel conditions. In order to ensure stricter controls, reallocations must also be made within the agricultural subsidies.
Setting dogs on people - even if it is only the so-called protective sleeve - must be banned for private individuals. Even the smallest training mistakes can have serious consequences for the dog's behavior. Service dogs such as police dogs should be exempt. NEOS party leader Reisinger has also seen it this way so far and thus supported this demand by the "Krone".
SPÖ leader Babler kept a low profile and pointed out that Minister Rauch had failed to produce the corresponding regulation. "The SPÖ would support such a promised regulation with regard to the sport of working dogs," said Babler. The ball is now in the court of the future animal welfare minister.
The "Krone" is campaigning for a ban on the long-distance transportation of live animals to third countries. It is pathetic what is done to animals during these transports! This ordeal lasts for days - often even weeks - only to be slaughtered somewhere in Africa or the Orient at the end of the journey. Austria exported around 26 million animals in 2022 and imported 22 million in the same period. What is the point here? There were no statements from the parties on this topic at the time, but this issue should also be at the top of the new government's agenda.
Time and again, cases of animal cruelty are uncovered in Austria. Whether on farms, at breeders or in cases of "animal hoarding", dedicated officials are needed to follow up on leads. Unfortunately, the "Krone" animal corner also very often experiences that the responsible veterinarians only act vaguely due to a lack of staff - but also a lack of interest.
During the election campaign, the NEOS spoke of wanting to make the administration more efficient and modern. This is because the jungle of competencies between the federal and provincial governments has once again led to failures in animal welfare. The SPÖ also wants to work towards this. For example, there should be no agricultural subsidies for farms that keep animals in cruel conditions. Babler believes that the range of penalties for relevant violations of the law is not sufficiently utilized.
The ball is in the court of new ministers
So there is also enough to do in this area for the next leaders of our state. There is a lot at stake for all of us in the next few years and our politicians must set the course for this. Animal welfare is often pushed aside when there are more "pressing" problems to solve. But the "Krone" will continue to work to ensure that those who have no voice are not forgotten.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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