With our support, Germany has made significant progress in its treatment of animals.
Thanks in part to our #NotInMyWorld campaign—which works to end trophy hunting—German airline Condor now prohibits the transport of hunting trophies, as do DHL Express and DHL Parcel.
And we encourage fashion companies to adopt fur free policies, contributing to successes such as Max Mara, Gucci and Valentino going fur-free.
Germany has not passed an official ban on fur farming, yet due to stricter welfare requirements, all fur farms have been shut down. We engage with German politicians on the national and EU level to support an EU-wide ban on fur farming.
There’s more work to be done.
The European Union is the second-largest importer of trophies from mammals listed as protected by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Germany is one of the worst offenders, and by far the main importer of hunting trophies in the region. Our #NotInMyWorld campaign is pushing for a national ban on importing trophies from protected animals. Germany is also home to Jagd & Hund, the largest hunting fair in the EU. We’re fighting to stop the fair from selling hunting trips to shoot protected species.
As part of a coalition with other organizations, we’re working to ensure that wild animals—including lions, chimpanzees and tigers—can no longer be owned by private citizens.
We’re helping companion animals, too. Germany does not mandate spaying and neutering cats, and the population of street cats in some places is rising. In 2024, we began a pilot project to humanely manage street cat populations in Schleswig-Holstein, a federal state in the northern Germany. Alongside local groups, we’re using vaccination, sterilization and other methods to improve the quality of life for these animals.
We are also committed to advancing animal-free testing and research. In 2023, we were part of a coalition that delivered 1.2 million signatures from EU citizens asking for a Europe without animal testing. By engaging with politicians, federal institutes, academics, industries and more, we’re promoting modern, human-relevant science in Germany.
We also continue to support a transition to a more plant-forward food system while working to improve the welfare of chickens and pigs.
Please join us. Together, we will tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering to create permanent change.
Humane World for Animals. The end of animal cruelty.