Weimar's cat protection regulation: a must for animal welfare and health!

Weimar's cat protection regulation: a must for animal welfare and health!

The cat protection regulation in Weimar has been in force since January 2, 2019. This measure was launched to improve the worrying situation of over 10,000 cats in the city. Official veterinarian Madeleine Spielvogel emphasizes that there were numerous abandoned animals that suffered from illnesses and spread them with each other. "Most of these animals suffer from considerable pain," she emphasizes. Cat cold was just one of the many diseases that assumed alarming dimensions at the time.

The introduction of the regulation was necessary to control the growth of the stray cat population. The regulation requires cat owners to neuter, chip and register their animals. "Animal welfare also demanded that - rightly so," explains Spielvogel. Despite the positive intentions, however, there was resistance from the population. Especially in the early months, many Weimar found the new regulations uncomfortable and saw them as an intervention in their personal rights. The responsible authorities were not easy to reduce these existing prejudices and to convince the citizens that this deals with the well -being of the animals and not about arbitrary control.

offices are behind the regulation

The Weimar landlord Stefan Kleinhans underlines that the cat protection regulation should be a kind of last authority. According to Paragraph 13 of the Animal Welfare Act, such a regulation may only be issued if all previous measures have not brought the desired success. Nevertheless, the veterinary office tries to defuse the situation as far as possible. "We only act in acute cases, as if numerous sick cats are reported or there is suspicion of so -called 'Animal Hoarding'," said Kleinhans. This shows the sensitivity with which the authorities act and that they do not want to intervene for no reason.

The cat protection regulation also has the challenge of clearing misunderstandings. Some citizens fear that their freedoms are restricted. However, the official veterinarian explains that the goal is not to regulate cat ownership, but to promote a responsible attitude that puts the well -being of the animals in the foreground. Gaining this insight took some time, but the authority hopes to convince the citizens of the need for their measures.

The coming months will be decisive to see whether the situation of the cats in Weimar will continue to improve. The signs indicate that the measures of the cat protection ordinance, in an extensive Report on www.mdr.de were explained in detail, could show positive effects. It remains to be seen how the residents will react to the need for this regulation in the future and whether they share responsibility for the well -being of the animals.