Thomas Schröder, president of the German animal welfare association, told the press on Saturday that the summer holidays were a particularly chaotic time for animal shelters. He estimated around 70,000 pets would be left in shelters over the summer, although he acknowledged it was not much better during the rest of the year, with owners no longer able to afford their pet’s upkeep.
It was especially problematic for shelters because more and more exotic pets are being abandoned, such as snakes, lizards or tarantulas. Shelters are not necessarily equipped to deal with such animals.
The animal welfare association are pushing for a sort of “white list” to regulate which creatures can be kept as household pets. Currently there are very few exceptions, with virtually all types of pets allowed in Germany.
