Zootechnical aspects (excluding farm animals), permit

For many activities involving the commercial handling of animals, you require a permit from the competent authority.

You require a permit if you wish to carry out the following activities with animals on a commercial basis:

• Breeding or keeping vertebrate animals other than farm animals and wild game
• trade in vertebrates
• maintain a riding or driving operation
• exhibiting animals or making them available for this purpose
• Controlling vertebrates as pests
• training dogs for third parties, such as companion dogs or assistance dogs, maintaining facilities for this purpose or instructing the training of dogs by the animal owner, for example through dog schools

Registration of a trade is not a prerequisite.

As a rule, a trade is deemed to exist if the activity is carried out independently, systematically, continuously and with the intention of making a profit.

A permit is also required if you wish to carry out the following activities:

• You carry out the breeding or keeping, including for sale to third parties, or use of vertebrates or cephalopods which are themselves or whose organs or tissues are intended to be used for scientific purposes, for example animal experiments.
• You carry out the breeding or keeping of vertebrates whose organs or tissues are intended for purposes other than scientific purposes, for example for the creation of cell cultures for diagnostic purposes.
• You keep animals in an animal shelter or similar facility, such as a rescue center.
• You keep and exhibit animals in a zoological garden or other facility or make them available for the latter.
• They bring or import vertebrate animals - with the exception of farm animals - into Germany for the purpose of selling them for a fee or consideration, or place these animals for a fee or consideration, such as through foreign dog welfare organizations.
• They train guard dogs or maintain facilities for this purpose.
• They organize animal exchanges for the purpose of exchanging or selling animals through third parties.

You require a permit for the commercial handling of animals if you wish to carry out the following activities commercially:

• Breeding, keeping or trading vertebrate animals other than farm animals
• Maintenance of a riding and driving business
• Exhibition of animals
• Control of vertebrates as pests
• bringing vertebrate animals that are not farm animals to Germany for sale (sale against payment)
• training dogs for third parties or instructing the training of dogs by pet owners

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
• bringing or importing vertebrate animals into the country for the purpose of selling them in return for payment or consideration or brokering these animals in return for payment or consideration
• organize animal exchanges for the purpose of exchanging or selling animals by third parties

Note: You do not require a permit to keep farm animals.

The permit can be issued to an individual person (sole proprietorship) or a corporation. In the case of a partnership, the individual personally liable partners each receive a permit.

Veterinary office of the district / independent city in whose area of responsibility your company is located.
Where the activity is carried on simultaneously at different establishments, a separate authorisation from the office competent for the place of establishment shall be required for each place of establishment.

For protected animals: Species Conservation Department of the Regional Council.

You can also complete the procedure electronically via the Point of Single Contact

A separate platform has been developed for online applications. On the so-called service platform, you can submit your applications electronically and much more! You are welcome to get your own impression of the application in advance without registering first. Use the simulation for this. To be able to use the online application to its full extent, you must first register for the online application procedure.

• a professional qualification or
• expertise in the area you wish to operate commercially.

§ Section 11 Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG) - Breeding, keeping of animals, trade in animals
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tierschg/

• General administrative regulation for the implementation of the Animal Welfare Act
• Obligation to report species protection: Section 7 of the Federal Species Protection Ordinance
• Art. 8 of Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 (for the issue of an EC certificate)

• After you have submitted the application and all the necessary documents to the responsible authority, these will first be checked for completeness and your personal requirements.
• An on-site appointment will then be arranged with you to check the technical requirements.
• If you meet all the requirements, the permit for the commercial handling of animals will then be sent to you.

There are no indications or special features.