https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germans are adopting more dogs amid the coronavirus crisis - meaning that the country has taken in a record amount of taxes for them. https://www.thelocal.de/20210412/germany-collects-record-amount-of-dog-tax-as-passion-for-pups-spikes-amid-pandemic Mon, 12 Apr 2021 12:39:57 +0200 germany-collects-record-amount-of-dog-tax-as-passion-for-pups-spikes-amid-pandemic Scientific trials in several European countries have found that trained dogs can accurately detect coronavirus in human sweat, opening up a new path for faster and cheaper preliminary Covid screening in all kinds of places. https://www.thelocal.de/20210212/video-how-dogs-can-help-reduce-covid-19-infections Fri, 12 Feb 2021 15:05:15 +0100 video-how-dogs-can-help-reduce-covid-19-infections The number of dog owners in Germany soared last year as people spent more time at home during the partial lockdowns. https://www.thelocal.de/20210122/dog-days-germany-sees-extreme-demand-for-pups-during-pandemic Fri, 22 Jan 2021 10:43:37 +0100 dog-days-germany-sees-extreme-demand-for-pups-during-pandemic A proposal by Germany’s agriculture ministry to make going walkies twice a day compulsory for all dog owners has caught the attention of dog owners well beyond the borders of Germany. But what does the law mean for you? https://www.thelocal.de/20200820/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-planned-dog-walking-law Thu, 20 Aug 2020 12:49:51 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-the-planned-dog-walking-law Pet owners wanting to travel between Germany and Britain after Brexit are being warned of a possible four-month registration process before pets are allowed to travel. https://www.thelocal.de/20190906/pet-owners-warned-of-four-month-wait-for-travel-between-spain-and-uk-after-brexit-2 Fri, 06 Sep 2019 13:11:01 +0200 pet-owners-warned-of-four-month-wait-for-travel-between-spain-and-uk-after-brexit-2 From bringing canines to work to having dedicated dog swimming pool days, it’s fair to say that Germany takes its Hunde seriously. We dug into the history and spoke to pet owners, to examine why the country really is 'ein Land das Hunde liebt' (a dog loving place). https://www.thelocal.de/20190420/from-the-wackeldackel-to-dog-tax-why-germany-has-a-passion-for-pooches Sat, 20 Apr 2019 09:20:10 +0200 from-the-wackeldackel-to-dog-tax-why-germany-has-a-passion-for-pooches A decision by German authorities in Ahlen to impound a pug from an indebted family and hawk it on eBay was spiralling on Monday into a possible case for the courts. https://www.thelocal.de/20190304/pug-of-war-over-ebay-sale-of-seized-family-dog-in-germany Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:27:42 +0100 pug-of-war-over-ebay-sale-of-seized-family-dog-in-germany One small, purebred dog has caused a lot of trouble in the German town of Ahlen. The dog, which had originally been confiscated by the Ahlen City Council for debts including the failure to pay dog taxes, was later sold on eBay to a disgruntled police officer. https://www.thelocal.de/20190228/purchaser-sues-claiming-confiscated-pug-sold-via-ebay-didnt-fit-the-description Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:03:41 +0100 purchaser-sues-claiming-confiscated-pug-sold-via-ebay-didnt-fit-the-description The loss of a beloved pet hits many people in Germany hard - as a result a growing number of pet burials are taking place at special graveyards throughout the country. https://www.thelocal.de/20190225/in-focus-pet-cemeteries-on-the-rise-in-germany Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:18:49 +0100 in-focus-pet-cemeteries-on-the-rise-in-germany Fatal dog attacks seem to have barely been out of the headlines in Germany this year. As a trial starts over the death of a pensioner at the teeth of an aggressive canine, is it time for Germany to reassess its dog laws? https://www.thelocal.de/20180530/does-germany-have-a-problem-with-aggressive-attack-dogs Wed, 30 May 2018 19:15:39 +0200 does-germany-have-a-problem-with-aggressive-attack-dogs Germany is one of the few European countries left which levies a tax on pooches. In Berlin, district coffers were enriched by more than €11 million through the ‘dog tax’ last year. https://www.thelocal.de/20171102/why-did-berlin-dog-owners-pay-over-11-million-in-dog-tax-last-year Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:58:00 +0100 why-did-berlin-dog-owners-pay-over-11-million-in-dog-tax-last-year After a pet chihuahua went missing from the cabin of a truck in Leipzig at the start of May, 154 Hells Angels have offered to help find the dog, German media report. https://www.thelocal.de/20170524/hells-angels-prowl-streets-of-leipzig-in-hunt-for-kidnapped-chihuahua Wed, 24 May 2017 11:16:01 +0200 hells-angels-prowl-streets-of-leipzig-in-hunt-for-kidnapped-chihuahua A divorcing couple were fighting over how to separate their various dogs. But now a Nuremberg court has weighed in on the interest of the pooches. https://www.thelocal.de/20170118/court-rules-couples-dogs-must-stay-together-after-divorce Wed, 18 Jan 2017 12:54:30 +0100 court-rules-couples-dogs-must-stay-together-after-divorce When a sheepdog travelling on a high-speed train in central Germany gave birth to six puppies, its owner left the newborns to die. https://www.thelocal.de/20160913/woman-throws-newborn-puppies-into-train-station-bin Tue, 13 Sep 2016 18:34:36 +0200 woman-throws-newborn-puppies-into-train-station-bin Can a canine enjoy skateboarding? That's the question Berlin politicians are struggling to address in a row over a dog on four wheels. https://www.thelocal.de/20160526/berlins-skateboarding-bulldog-is-it-animal-cruelty Thu, 26 May 2016 18:02:05 +0200 berlins-skateboarding-bulldog-is-it-animal-cruelty A vicious spat is cleaving Germany society in two, and politicians seem helpless to do anything about it - but two nine-year-olds from Bavaria reckon they have found the answer. https://www.thelocal.de/20160304/kids-invent-robot-to-settle-germanys-dog-poo-wars Fri, 04 Mar 2016 16:01:17 +0100 kids-invent-robot-to-settle-germanys-dog-poo-wars A dog owner in western Germany could only look on in horror as an elderly couple poisoned her six-month-old puppy. https://www.thelocal.de/20160114/woman-watches-helplessly-as-old-couple-poison-her-puppy Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:17:50 +0100 woman-watches-helplessly-as-old-couple-poison-her-puppy As the "Dog and Horse" convention throws open its doors to the public in Dortmund on Friday, a small group of people have gathered for one of the most unique sporting contests in the world. https://www.thelocal.de/20151016/dortmund-hosts-euro-dog-diving-championship Fri, 16 Oct 2015 16:16:58 +0200 dortmund-hosts-euro-dog-diving-championship Hounds languishing in the July heat around Bremen have been treated to a very special snack to cool them down - but it's one that might put humans off their lunch. https://www.thelocal.de/20150707/hot-dogs-lap-up-liver-sausage-sundaes Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:15:43 +0200 hot-dogs-lap-up-liver-sausage-sundaes Bergisch Gladbach in North Rhine-Westphalia, hometown of supermodel Heide Klum, was once linked in Germans' minds with the catwalk. But now it is just as infamous for a dog walk, after two women came to blows over a mound of pooch poo. https://www.thelocal.de/20150701/women-throw-punches-over-discarded-dog-poo Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:02:54 +0200 women-throw-punches-over-discarded-dog-poo