Punishment instead of just advice

Vienna’s dog sheriffs take off the kid gloves

One year after its foundation, the "Vienna Dog Team" is slowly taking off the kid gloves.

(Bild: Stadt Wien/Martin VOTAVA)

After a year, the fun is over: the Vienna dog team is no longer just giving advice, but is now increasingly imposing penalties. The fact that 2400 checks have so far only resulted in 42 charges sounds like little - but it is not, because the consequences can go far beyond charges.

At the presentation of the "Vienna Dog Team" around a year ago, Animal Welfare Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky announced that he wanted to slowly get the city's dog owners used to the 20-strong team of dog sheriffs and the rules of the Vienna Animal Welfare Act: through advice and education. But now the kid gloves are off. The dog team is increasingly turning to reports and penalties.