Licensing, contracts and governance for breeders, shelters, rescue organisations, boarding businesses, trainers and animal-related associations.
Permissions before operations begin
Section 11 TierSchG covers specified activities, including shelters and various commercial activities involving animals. Whether permission is needed depends on what is actually done. Non-profit status is not a universal exemption. Applications may require evidence about responsible persons, expertise, reliability and premises.
Contracts and responsibilities
Breeding, placement, foster-care, boarding and training agreements should clarify ownership, care decisions, veterinary costs, disclosure of health information and return arrangements. Clauses must work under the applicable contract and consumer rules; a signature does not make an excessive standard term enforceable.
Online trade and European requirements
Animal sales and advertisements combine welfare, identification, consumer and platform issues. EU reforms must be distinguished from obligations already applicable under German law. Operators should map the transition dates relevant to their activity instead of assuming every new requirement starts immediately.
Example: a rescue organisation expands abroad
A group begins regularly bringing dogs into Germany for placement. We review permits, movement rules, veterinary documentation and adoption contracts as a single operating model. Treating each journey as private pet travel can create substantial compliance problems.
Preparing for advice
Please provide the relevant contracts or official correspondence, a dated account of events and any technical or veterinary reports. Identify the parties, the country or German state involved, and every known deadline. We will agree the appropriate next step after reviewing the documents.
Related services
Legal framework & further reading
Reviewed 8 November 2026. Examples are illustrative and do not describe reported client matters.
Discuss your matter
Send a short description, the parties involved and any deadline. We check conflicts and agree the scope and fees before starting work. For urgent matters, telephone our office as well.