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Specialty chain Fressnapf has voted Erfurt as Germany’s most dog-friendly city. The Krefeld-based franchise company presented the capital of the state of Thuringia with the “Golden Dog Bowl”, awarded for the first time this year. Wiesbaden was a close second, followed by Bavarian metropolis Munich in third place. In the future, the “Golden Dog Bowl” will be awarded annually to the cities that show the greatest commitment to dog owners and their four-legged friends. Fressnapf surveyed 40 cities with over 200,000 inhabitants across 13 categories for the award.

A tax paradise for canine lovers
“Erfurt is a nose ahead of other large cities with the lowest dog tax, together with Münster, at 72 euros for the first dog,” explains Fressnapf Spokesman Achim Schütz. “If dog tax is a regulatory instrument to limit the number of dogs in a city, we at Fressnapf interpret this as dogs being welcome in the winning city, Erfurt. The “Golden Dog Bowl” is a great commendation for the city of Erfurt and its mayor Andreas Bausewein. Fressnapf is also donating 5,000 euros for projects to continue to improve the situation for dogs in the city,” says Schütz.

Urban territory for dogs and owners
Alongside the low dog tax, plenty of open spaces, dog schools, dog hotels and dog associations make Erfurt an attractive city for both two and four-legged residents. Dog owners can also find free dog litter bags in three citizens advice centres and at 32 “dog stations” across the city. The high ratio of dogs shows that both humans and canines feel at home in Erfurt – 9,517 dogs live in the city with a human population of 200,000. This translates to between four and five dogs for every 100 Erfurt residents. Events such as “Dog Day”, which has been held every summer for the last 15 years at the Thuringia Zoo in Erfurt, complete the profile of Germany’s most dog-friendly city.

Animal companions
Wet-nosed friends have long been a loved member of many families, and today play an increasingly important role in peoples’ lives. They fascinate, entertain and are companions and protectors, as well as comforters and therapists. A dog is an indispensable partner for older people or people with little social contact in particular, giving them unconditional attention and affection. This is reason enough for Fressnapf to honour the city that values this and that goes the extra mile for human-canine relationships. The “Golden Dog Bowl” aims to motivate other cities to show greater commitment to its four-legged inhabitants. “We want to encourage Germany’s towns and cities to enable species-appropriate dog ownership in a liveable urban environment,” says Achim Schütz.

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Erfurt wins the “Golden Dog Bowl 2009” RGB – JPG A Golden Dog Bowl for Erfurt! Andreas Jahn, CEO of SWE Stadtwirtschaft GmbH, Erfurt mayor Andreas Bausewein, Fressnapf Spokesman Achim Schütz and Nancy Engelmann from the Erfurt animal shelter (from left) are thrilled at the award. Download (3023KB)