Germany: Hunting dogs kill 15 sheep

Hunting dogs kill 15 sheep in Kirchwald

When Petra and Günther T. set out on a peaceful Saturday morning on 3 December 2022 for a walk with their dogs across the meadows towards the forest in Kirchwald, Rhineland-Palatinate, they had no inkling of the calamity that the mild winter's day would bring.

When two hunting dogs of the German Wirehaired Pointer breed came charging towards them on a path and then ran into a meadow, their first thought was for a neighbour's sheep. But it was too late. By the end of the day, according to the sheep keeper, 15 animals had died or had to be put down.

Wildtierschutz Deutschland interviewed the witnesses and filed criminal charges with the Koblenz public prosecutor's office against the hunt leader and dog handler.

Long-legged dogs unsuitable for driven hunts

«We accuse the hunt leader and his dog handler of having violated the recognised principles of German hunting ethics by deploying dogs that are not fit for purpose,» explains Lovis Kauertz of Wildtierschutz Deutschland. «This is a clear violation of the Animal Welfare Act.»

In recent years, long-legged dog breeds that are actually unsuitable for this type of hunting have repeatedly caused problems during driven hunts. The deployment of these dogs repeatedly leads to incidents that are not in compliance with animal welfare standards. More on the topic of crime and hunting as well as animal welfare issues.

A postscript: Imagine if a wolf had caused this massacre.