Sulzbach/Ts./Hamburg/Dortmund, July 6, 2016 – Easy to reach by car, mild climate, dunes and beach – At first glance, a holiday in Denmark for people with dogs seems almost perfect. But the Danish dog law is anything but dog-friendly. A biting incident can result in the confiscation of the dog and, in the worst case, its death.
Even though Denmark made changes to the country’s dog law two years ago, the animal welfare organizations TASSO eV and – Foundation for Animal Welfare and the Association for German Dogs (VDH) still warn against traveling to Denmark with dogs.
The ban on 13 dog breeds classified as dangerous, which has been in force since July 1, 2010, is still valid. Accordingly, American Bulldogs, American Staffordshire Terriers, Boerboels, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasileiros, Kangals, Caucasian Owtcharkas, Pitbull Terriers, Sarplaninacs, South Russian Owtcharkas, Tornjaks, Tosa Inus and Central Asian Owtcharkas may neither be bred nor kept in Denmark, nor may they be imported.
Dog owners, especially tourists, whose animals belong to one of these forbidden breeds, must expect their four-legged friend to be confiscated by the police and possibly even killed. Even dogs that look similar to one of the breeds specified in the law are not immune to this. This can especially affect mixed breed dogs. If the worst comes to the worst, the owners must be able to clearly prove by means of proof of origin that their animal does not belong to any of the listed breeds.
Dogs involved in a biting incident on Danish soil can also meet this fate. Since July 1, 2014, it is no longer the police officers who decide whether the dog in question should be killed, but rather so-called «dog experts». “Unfortunately, even after two years, the legislation still does not specify what training these people need to have. After all, they decide about the life or death of a living being,” criticizes Udo Kopernik, spokesman for the VDH, about this provision.
According to official figures from the Danish Ministry of Agriculture, over 600 dogs have been killed under the Danish Dogs Act, but the Danish organization fairdog puts the number much higher.
The animal protection organizations TASSO and as well as the VDH have already expressed clear criticism of the Danish dog legislation in the past, in particular of the breed-related dangerousness classification of dogs.