Erlaubnis zur Zucht, Haltung und zum Handel mit Tieren Erteilung

§ 11 Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG)

(https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tierschg/__11.html)

If you wish to carry out the following activities commercially, you require a permit:

• Breeding, keeping or trading vertebrate animals other than farm animals
• Maintenance of a riding and driving business
• Exhibiting animals
• Control of vertebrates as pests

This permit is also required if you

• keep animals in an animal shelter or similar facility,
• keep and exhibit animals in a zoological garden or other facility,
• train dogs for third parties, maintain facilities for this purpose or instruct the training of dogs by the animal owner,
• import vertebrate animals into Germany for the purpose of selling them for a fee or consideration or broker these animals for a fee or consideration,
• organize animal exchanges for the purpose of exchanging or selling animals by third parties.

You do not require a permit to keep farm animals.

As a rule, the following documents must be submitted:

• Certificate of good conduct to assess reliability
• Proof of expertise includes: relevant training certificates, degree certificates, training certificates, proof of many years of experience in handling the respective animals.
• Plan of the rooms and facilities, floor plan (e.g. location sketch, description of the housing facilities, cages, terrariums, lighting)

In order to obtain a permit, you must generally provide evidence of your expertise in handling the respective animals and your reliability. In addition, the permit and the conditions are tailored to the individual case. On-site appointments are usually carried out by the responsible veterinary office.

The application must generally contain the following information:

• planned activity

• Location of the business (business address)

• Owner of the business (name, address, date and place of birth)

• Proof of the reliability of the business owner

• Details of the person responsible for the activity, if they are not the same as the respective business owner (name, address, date and place of birth)

• Proof of the expertise and reliability of the person responsible
• the species and the respective numbers of animals to be kept
• Plan of the rooms and facilities, floor plan (e.g. location sketch, description of the housing facilities, cages, terrariums, lighting)

The person who has applied for a permit in accordance with Section 11 of the Animal Welfare Act must prove that they are competent.

The expertise required for the activity can generally be assumed if the person responsible

• has completed state-recognized or other training or further training that qualifies them to handle the animal species to which the activity relates, or

• has the specialist knowledge required for the activity due to their previous professional or other contact with animals, for example through many years of successful keeping of the animal species concerned.

Furthermore, the applicant must be reliable. The authority assumes that the person responsible for the activity to be carried out is reliable if this person is known to the authority and there are no facts that give rise to doubts about the reliability of this person with regard to animal welfare. As a rule, the authority will request a certificate of good conduct to verify the person's reliability.

Finally, the available premises are inspected by the authority in order to determine their suitability in connection with the species-appropriate keeping of the specified animal species and respective numbers of animals.

Based on the authority's inspection and the particularities of the individual case described above, permits in accordance with Section 11 of the Animal Welfare Act are also provided with additional conditions tailored to the individual case.

Ideally, the application should be submitted to the competent veterinary office together with all the necessary documents (see above). The necessary application forms can also be obtained there in advance.

If necessary documents are missing at the time of application, these can generally be submitted later. After the documents have been checked, an official veterinarian will usually carry out an on-site visit to inspect the premises that are to be used for the activity. A final decision is then made as to whether a permit can be granted.

• A permit is required for the breeding, keeping or trading of animals for commercial purposes. Animal brokerage/animal transportation, riding and other commercial activities also require a permit.
• No permit is required for the keeping of farm animals.
• The applicant must be competent and reliable. All other requirements must be clarified with the competent authority.
• It is an administrative offense to carry out the activity without a permit.
• Competent authority: Veterinary office

Application form / Application for a permit in accordance with Section 11 of the Animal Welfare Act