BERLIN—Humane World for Animals Germany (formerly called Humane Society International) today launched the “mandate for animals” campaign and petition. Through this effort, the animal protection organization is calling on the CDU-led Bundesregierung (Germany’s federal government) to take citizens’ will on animal welfare seriously and translate their preferences and demands into concrete political action.
Public will meets political gap
The campaign is based on the first-ever Humane World for Animals Animal Welfare Barometer 2026, a nationally representative survey of more than 1,500 people in Germany. The findings show that Germany is a nation with high animal welfare expectations, yet politically, this mandate has so far remained largely unanswered. Only around one-fifth of respondents believe that the Bundesregierung is currently doing enough for animal welfare. Almost two-thirds expect significantly more commitment. This reveals a clear “government performance gap.”
The findings also show broad public consensus in favor of stronger animal welfare, cutting across animal welfare topics, population groups and political preferences.
More than animal welfare: relevance for politics, business and society
The findings of the Humane World for Animals Animal Welfare Barometer 2026 are not only politically relevant; they also matter for business, industry and consumers. They reflect public expectations around regulation, transparency, supply chains, production standards and consumer choices—for example in the food system, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in the retail and fashion sectors. As such, the report provides important indications of where political and economic frameworks should change and adapt in the future.
Key demands of the petition
With the “mandate for animals” petition, Humane World for Animals brings together key demands from the Animal Welfare Barometer 2026. These include:
- A nationwide mandatory spay/neuter requirement for outdoor cats and support for sustainable population management projects.
- Greater transparency in the food system, including a ban on eggs from caged hens in processed products and mandatory country-of-origin labelling for eggs.
- Support for and investment in methods that do not cause animal suffering, as well as a step-by-step phase-out of animal testing.
- Stricter national and EU-wide rules on keeping wild animals as pets, including a positive list
- An import ban on hunting trophies from protected species, including lion trophies from so-called captive-bred lion hunting in South Africa.
- Support for an EU-wide ban on fur farming.
Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, country director at Humane World for Animals Germany, says: “Our Animal Welfare Barometer 2026 clearly shows that people in Germany are far ahead of our national politics when it comes to animal welfare. They want more commitment, stronger regulations and greater transparency for the welfare of animals. With the ‘mandate for animals’ petition, we are making this societal mandate visible and calling on the Bundesregierung to take it seriously.”
Digital campaign makes the mandate visible
The campaign aims to highlight citizens’ will for stronger animal welfare and build public attention and political pressure continuously over several months. Humane World for Animals Germany is releasing short videos, each focusing on one chapter of the Animal Welfare Barometer 2026—from street cats to farmed animals and animal-free science, through to wild animals, trophy hunting and fur farming. The videos present the mandate for animals from different perspectives. The first video went online today (Instagram, Facebook).
The signatures collected will t be handed over to the Bundesregierung in Berlin. The “mandate for animals” petition can be signed here: humaneworld.org/mandat-fuer-tiere
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Notes to editors:
The Humane World for Animals Animal Welfare Barometer 2026 provides representative findings on key animal welfare issues in Germany, including street cats, farmed animals and the food system, animal-free science, wild animals kept as pets, trophy hunting and fur farming. The individual topics can also be covered separately by editorial teams. Our international experts, as well as country director Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, are available for interviews on all topics.
The full Humane World for Animals Animal Welfare Barometer 2026 with all results can be viewed here; this video summarizes the most important findings, and you can also find suitable visuals, including animal images and infographics. The dedicated website contains key information (all materials in German only).