2023-06-25 21:16:42
HomeCultureBerlin is looking for a dog: what the fate of Toni teaches us
What about compassion for strays? And how should we think about the puppy trade and animal adoption? A contemplation.
Cornelia Geissler
Some time ago, this dog was offered as a “problem fur” by the animal shelter Berlin.Tierheim Berlin
Last night, as I watched several cars on Wilhelmstrasse stop next to the topography of terror and then continue around curves, I had to think of Toni.
It was a fox who couldn’t decide in the middle of the street whether he wanted to go back to the memorial area or go to the next inner courtyard on the corner of Kochstrasse. But his silhouette resembled Toni’s, very slender, almost too thin, his fur shaggy rather than smooth. The fox slowly took a few steps this way, a few steps that way, then darted away unharmed.
Mediations from abroad
Toni’s story before her time in Berlin is only known to her. She was listed for adoption on an animal welfare website, which is what buying a dog for a nominal fee is called. Once you start looking for a dog outside of the breeders’ guilds, you will be confronted with an abundance of clubs that bring these animals to Germany from Spain and Italy, Greece or Romania. There is an overarching portal that the organizations feed with offers. It’s full of heart-rending stories of little strays like Toni, picked up without a wife, or puppies discovered next to garbage cans. Some of the clubs even advertise on Kleinanzeige.de. In between, automated warnings flash like “Never buy animals out of pity or on the open street!”.
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However, in addition to appearance (“beautiful male”, “beautiful female”), pity is the main argument used to mediate. One has had a lot of bad luck in life so far, the other has not been kept in accordance with the breed. Two half-blind curly dogs are only given together because they are so related. A pinscher mix bitch needs a confident second dog in the arrival family. A shepherd-like being looks for tasks, otherwise it withers away. A Podenco crossbreed suffered injuries from beatings, a hunting dog in need of love was rejected for lack of hunting instinct.
The date of birth of the fox-like Toni in the vaccination card is estimated. Tourists had given her to a Greek animal welfare station, where she was cared for and castrated. In Berlin it quickly became clear that she had no experience of the city and that cars, scooters and bicycles were a horror to her. She gives men a wider berth on the sidewalk than women. Loud children’s voices make them tremble. In the forest, on the meadow, at the lake, Toni is relaxed and happy.
The police collect the reports
In her sixth week in Berlin, Toni was suddenly gone, having escaped from the fenced dog area.
A wave of compassion moved quickly through the neighborhood. Dog people went on search walks, shared Toni’s photo on social media. The police had a report of a found dog of a similar color. It was a woman from the neighborhood who discovered Toni just a few minutes after escaping. The puppy was on his way home. On the street, however, Toni remembered how much she fears cars. But they carefully curved around them. The woman boldly grabbed the collar. What could have happened there. Berlin is dog friendly.
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