Dachshunds under threat as Germany mulls breeding ban
Germany's beloved sausage dog, the dachshund, could be under threat in the country, its national kennel club said Wednesday, citing a new draft law that looks to prohibit the breeding of dogs with “skeletal anomalies.”
The draft bill, published in February and currently being considered by the authorities, was introduced as part of the Animal Protection Act, which seeks to strengthen existing laws on so-called “torture breeding,” the German government said.
The document said it could ban the reproduction of breeds prone to particular problems, such as the frequent spinal issues seen in dogs with short legs and a long back.
According to the German Kennel Club (VDH), other national favorites like the German shepherd and schnauzer, and even Snoopy himself, the beagle, could also be affected.
History has seen many famous lovers of the lowslung but feisty dachshund, or “dackel” as it's known in German.
Napoleon Bonaparte owned several dachshunds, and Germany's last emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had a headstone erected for his dackel, “Erdmann.”
The painter Pablo Picasso was photographed with his dachshund, Lump, who inspired the artist's famous line drawing “Le Chien.”
A dachshund even became the first official mascot for the Olympic Games — in Germany, of course — when organizers unveiled Waldi the Dachshund for the 1972 Summer Olympics.
“The sausage dog is part of Germany's cultural heritage,” Marion Michelet, a breeder from the Deutscher Teckelklub Berlin-Brandenburg kennel club and owner of a dachshund called Pepper, told CNN Wednesday. “The sausage dog is not inbred just because it is small and has short legs.”
Michelet added that she believes “the new draft law is exaggerated… and is aimed against breeding as a whole.”
The VDH has launched a petition to save “our favorite dogs,” arguing the reform would leave too much room for interpretation in determining what constitutes a genetic defect.
As of Wednesday, the petition had attracted more than 15,000 signatures.
On its website, the VDH said that “many of the proposed changes, such as regulating the online trade in animals or taking action against illegal puppy trade, make sense.”
“However, the animal protection law contains requirements that could mean the end of many healthy dog breeds in Germany,” it added.