April 8, 2024
The Berlin Justice Department is planning to severely restrict the independence of Berlin's state animal welfare officers.
The Berlin Justice Department is planning to severely restrict the independence of Berlin's state animal welfare officers.
The independence of the Berlin State Animal Welfare Commissioner, Dr. Kathrin Herrmann, is at stake. Expertise for Animals joins the open letter initiated by the German Legal Society for Animal Protection Law e.V.
Since 2020, veterinarian Dr. Herrmann has been an independent and committed advocate for animal rights. To date, the Berlin State Animal Welfare Officer has acted autonomously and has carried out her own press and public relations work. Her statements and comments to the press have not yet had to be approved by the head of the Senate.
But now planned restrictions are threatening her work. The Berlin justice department is planning to severely restrict the powers of the state animal welfare officer. This would be a major setback for animal welfare in Berlin and beyond.
The narrow scope envisaged would mean that the State Animal Welfare Commissioner would no longer be able to act politically and professionally independently in the interests of non-human animals. On the one hand, this would affect the advisory and information activities of the staff unit, but above all its control function.
For this reason, the German Legal Society for Animal Protection Law (Deutsche Juristische Gesellschaft für Tierschutzrecht e.V.), together with around 40 organizations, has made an urgent appeal to the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, and the Berlin Senator for Justice, Dr. Felor Badenberg. The Berlin State Animal Welfare Officer must not be restricted in her scope of action!
We support the demand and sign the open letter. The State Animal Welfare Commissioner has an essential position in the animal welfare discourse and must remain independent. The open letter aptly states:
"The previous freedom of action of the Animal Welfare Commissioner, Dr. Kathrin Herrmann, enables her to effectively advocate for the rights and welfare of animals, promote innovative solutions and act as a bridge between politicians, animal welfare organizations and stakeholders in the city and the public." (Translated by Expertise for Animals)
The open letter is accompanied by a petition entitled "Freedom for the voice of animals: independence for Berlin's state animal welfare commissioner".
There is also an initiative by 35 academics and another open letter to the Governing Mayor of Berlin by the Alliance for Animal Welfare Policy. Both also call for the independence of Berlin's State Animal Welfare Commissioner to be maintained.
The State Animal Welfare Commissioner must continue to act independently with her expertise in animal welfare and animal welfare law for non-human animals in politics and in public.
