German Animal Welfare Office: Acquisition of an animal rescue vehicle

A new emergency vehicle for “the animal rescuers” The German Animal Welfare Agency is a German non-governmental organization specializing in animal welfare issues. In 2013, it was registered as a non-profit association. The purpose of the association is animal protection and the improvement of the living conditions of animals, especially in the human environment. This includes mainly the so-called farm animals (pets and domestic animals), but also wild animals that are in contact or conflict with humans.

Animals are beaten, abused and killed on a daily basis. We do not look the other way when it comes to animal cruelty, but act. We rescue animals in need and take action when animals need us. We fight against the terrible animal suffering in industrial factory farming, on fur farms or during slaughter. With extraordinary actions we draw attention to these issues and put pressure on political decision makers. At the same time, we directly help abused animals, free chain dogs from their miserable existence, rescue injured wild animals and take care of abandoned pets.

In our work, we focus primarily on two levels: On the one hand, we use public relations work to generate pressure for action to eliminate abuses, and on the other hand, we also intervene directly in emergencies and rescue or free animals in distress.
The direct form of active animal protection work is the “animal rescuers” project. We provide practical help for all kinds of abuses in animal husbandry. For example, the rescue of a crow from the track bed of Berlin’s Ostbahnhof caused quite a stir, which ultimately led to a nationwide guideline by Deutsche Bahn for the protection of distressed birds in train stations.

“The animal rescuers” have also caused a stir many times with the rescue of abandoned or neglected kennel and chain dogs. In the summer of 2013, we were able to force the dismantling of a several hundred meter long pigeon deterrent system at Berlin’s Zoo train station because it violated animal protection laws. In total, “the animal rescuers” rescue and/or free about 100 animals per year.

A prerequisite for the animal rescuers’ work is mobility. Thanks to the support of the animal protection foundation Wolfgang Bösche, we were able to purchase a new vehicle for the animal rescue mission in the summer. Especially in the Berlin/Brandenburg area, our animal rescuers are now able to be on site quickly when animals are in need, regardless of accessibility by public transport. The van is equipped with various transport aids, trapping aids and equipment for the emergency care of animals in distress. A reader for identifying chipped animals is also always on board, so that escaped pets can be quickly identified. Our animal rescuer Stefan Klippstein is a trained animal caretaker and can therefore competently decide on suitable resources at the scene.