Travel Road Block: Banned Dog Breeds in Germany
"Are Staffies Banned in Germany?"
Dear PetRelocation,
Please can you tell me if and how I can take my Staffordshire Bull Terrier with me when I move to live in Germany?
(Or can you advise me on who to contact to find out?) We will be moving to either Berlin or Wuppertal.
I can't find a definitive answer online.
Thanks,
Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Germany has strict and particular rules regarding dogs, and over the years, various breeds, including Staffordshire Terriers, have been banned from being imported.
That being said, current rules are confusing and vary from city to city. It wouldn't hurt to do a little research to determine if policies have changed over the last few months and have yet to be widely discussed online.
We've heard that Germany may allow some banned breeds (Pit Bulls specifically) as long as they are registered through your local City Hall, so that's worth checking out. We'd suggest calling vets or animal shelters in the area you're thinking of moving to as well as the German Kennel Club and any official government entities, such as the Department of Agriculture. You can also find more information here about various rules and possible exceptions.
Sorry we don't have clearer answers for you now, Samantha. As you can see, importing pets can be tricky, and instead of relying on online information, it's best to check with an official office directly. We did quite a bit of investigation when we recently moved Stan, a Pit Bull, to Europe. His owner wanted to go to Denmark but the breed is banned there, so he went to Amsterdam instead.
Good luck with everything, and please let us know if we can be of service to you in the future. Also, feel free to update us if you find out anything definitively, and all you pet travelers who might be reading this, let us know in the comments if you know something that we don't!
Pet Transport Question Details:
Name: Samantha
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier
From: UK
To: Germany