A highly successful demonstration was staged in the southern German town of Wiesbaden in the State of Hessen at the beginning of September in protest against the draconian ‘Fighting Dog’ laws which have caused so much suffering to dogs and their owners in German.

A crowd of some 2,000 demonstrators – all ordinary dog owners – made their voices heard at the demonstration, which was arranged jointly by the German Kennel Club (VDH) and Werner Kilinger, an officer of the local branch of the Liberal Party (FDP).

A number of invited speakers rallied the crowd with their comments. Amongst these were two Britons, Dave Levy, the Kennel Club Liaison Officer of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed council and myself, Nick Mays, Chief Report for the canine newspaper Our Dogs.

Banners were proudly displayed at the outdoor meeting, many of them containing photographs of dogs, alongside such comments as "We’re Fighting For Our Family Dogs." Several banners and placards had messages directed against Volker Bouffier, the deeply unpopular Minister of the Interior for the State of Hessen, the man who prides himself publicly on introducing the harshest dog control laws of all the 16 German States.

After the speeches, the protestors moved in good order to the Hessen Landtag, the Government Buildings, where many of them staged a peaceful sit-in on the Landtag steps. A large number of police officers attempted to dissuade the protesters and move them along, but they held firm. Having made their point, the demonstrators returned home peacefully.

That night, German TV reported that the Federal Government had decided that there should be NO nation-wide dog control laws, although no mention was made of abandoning their plans to push for EU-wide laws.

However, at the time of writing (mid-September), the French Government made a sudden announcement that they intend to enact a law banning the breeding, sale and movement of Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffords and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The reason given for this was clearly stated by an Interior Ministry Minister who said, blithely, that this was a "gesture of Franco-German solidarity".

As many observers have commented, this latest move by France will strengthen Germany’s position when their Vice Chancellor Otto Schilly presents the German Government’s request for an EU-wide ban on the three Bull breeds (and possibly others) to the European Parliament in November of this year.

Dog owners from around the world have lodged protests with both the French and German governments and have lobbied MEPs to vote against any such move by the European Parliament.

On Monday, September 11^th, two days after the Demonstration, the Central Court in Hessen upheld a legal challenge by campaigners that the State’s dog control laws were unconstitutional and illegal. The laws banning ownership of Staffordshire Bull Terriers, AmStaffs and Pit Bulls was removed. A full legal determination will be made in early 2001 and, if the ruling is upheld, Hessen Interior Minister Bouffier will find himself cited in over 1,000 individual claims for damages from dog owners.

Herr Werner Klinger opened proceedings with a robust speech which set the tone for the whole day. He compared the instigators of the dog laws to "Neo-Nazis", which drew a huge cheer from the crowd, as did his assertion that "there is no such thing as a dangerous breed of dog."

Herr Klinger directed his fire towards Minister Bouffier and added: "Don’t think any of us will forget what you have said and done. At the next election you will be voted out of office."

Another popular speaker was Herr Uwe Fischer, the President of the VDH – German Kennel Club – who said: "The courts should do something about people who use dogs as weapons . . . not responsible dog owners."

Herr Fischer added, again to cheers from those assembled: "I would like to see all States have the same laws, with NO breeds listed… The only common theme in all of the existing States’ laws is their total incompetence. The more I look at politicians, the more I admire my dogs."

Dave Levy of the UK’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council gave a speech which was extremely well received. Mr Levy said: "(German) Media pressure and ambitious politicians may currently be succeeding in distorting public opinion against dogs and dog owners in Germany, but most of the rest of the world is reporting the ridiculous excesses being perpetrated in Germany in very critical terms."

Mr Levy added that British dog owners were fully behind their German counterparts in opposing the laws and any moves by the German Government to introduce EU-wide laws via the European Parliament. He was cheered and clapped when he added that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council had donated £5,000 towards the campaign.