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The winner of the “Golden Dog Bowl 2011” has been decided. According to analyses and surveys by specialty chain Fressnapf, Augsburg is Germany’s dog-friendliest city. Fressnapf is rewarding Augsburg’s dog-friendliness with a donation of 5,000 euros for a project that aims to make life for Augsburg’s dogs even better. Second place goes to Frankfurt and last year’s winner, Munich, comes in third. The “Golden Dog Bowl” is awarded every year to the cities that show the greatest commitment to dogs and their owners. For the award, Fressnapf investigated 40 cities with over 200,000 inhabitants, in five evaluation categories. Fressnapf customers and dog owners were also asked to evaluate the dog-friendliness of their city on the Internet.

Augsburg has the complete package
Admittedly, Augsburg didn’t win “by a nose” in all categories, but the total of all of the results from the individual categories ensured that the third largest city in Bavaria took first place on the winners’ podium. When asked about the dog-friendliness of their city, Augsburgers themselves gave it the third highest rating among all 40 cities with the evaluation “very dog-friendly”. Augsburg also scores points with the number of “poo bag” outlets. With 175 of them, Augsburg is in the top segment in comparison with other cities, which is how it effectively deals with the problem of dog muck. Furthermore, at 75 euros for the first dog, Augsburg is clearly at the lower and therefore cheaper end of the dog tax spectrum. Considering that dog tax is a regulatory instrument for limiting the number of dogs in a city, then dogs are obviously warmly welcomed in Augsburg! When it comes to getting around in public areas, it is very important that it costs nothing to take a dog onto Augsburg local public transport. Finally, leads are not compulsory in the whole of the inner city area. Admittedly there are no specially designated areas where dogs can run free in Augsburg, but this is owing to the non-mandatory use of dog leashes. All in all, these are deciding criteria that make Augsburg one of the dog-friendliest cities in Germany and reason enough for dogs and their owners to feel at home in Augsburg.

Lord Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl sees the award of the “Golden Dog Bowl 2011” as being “a very gratifying acknowledgement of the conditions that contribute to allowing people and dogs to coexist happily in Augsburg. Many people value their dog as a companion and often as their only friend. This kind of canine friendship is a really wonderful gift. I love dogs too and I am glad that the “Golden Dog Bowl” was awarded to Augsburg this year. I would like to warmly thank the company for the prize money, which will go to Tierfutternothilfe e.V. where it will be used to help many four-legged friends.”

The choice of German dog owners
As part of the survey, Germany’s dog owners themselves had the chance to vote for the dog-friendliness of their city via the Internet. In the eyes of dog owners, the number of areas where dogs can run free, the number of places where “poo bags” are available and the amount of dog tax are the most important criteria for a city’s dog-friendliness. Dog owners evaluated the cost of taking dogs on local public transport and the obligation to keep them on leads as being less important. 12 percent of dog owners rate their city as being very dog-friendly. Around 77 percent generally consider their city to be dog-friendly, while just 11 percent said that their own city was not dog-friendly or not at all dog-friendly. The results of the survey clearly illustrate that harmony between people and dogs doesn't just work well in the countryside. “In future, mutual understanding and consideration should be the first priority for cities, with or without dogs, and it is essential that we keep promoting it”, explains Fressnapf spokesman Achim Schütz.

Fressnapf study puts cities under the spotlight
The Fressnapf study came up with some interesting results on the subject of dogs and cities. For example, dog owners from the 40 cities considered the number of areas where dogs can run free to be the most important criteria for the dog-friendliness of their city. Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Bielefeld and Munich did especially well on this point because they do not enforce a general ban on dogs being off-lead and have specially designated areas where dogs can run free. That means that these cities give owners and their furry companions lots of space to run and play. The Fressnapf study revealed that points where “poo bags” can be obtained are particularly important to German dog owners and have consistently become the “done thing” in almost all cities. Concerning this issue, Erfurt, winner of the “Golden Dog Bowl 2009”, has put the public’s interests first by making free dog muck bags available free of charge on request from the citizen’s advice bureau. Nuremberg has a particularly creative way of dealing with the annoying “calling cards”. They use two Fressnapf-sponsored mobile dog “poovers”. Only Leipzig, Bochum and Gelsenkirchen do not offer any bags for dog muck. The cost of using local public transport with their dog was considered by owners to be of secondary importance. The Rhein-Ruhr, Berlin-Brandenburg, Munich and Hamburg transport systems prove to be generous and dog-friendly. In these cities, dogs travel free of charge on their owner’s ticket! In Berlin, a reduced fare has to be paid for each dog. In Stuttgart, owners have to purchase a child’s ticket for their pet.

Man’s best friend
Dogs are the second most popular pet in Germany and man’s most loyal companion. Four-legged friends have long been considered part of the family, a companion and protector, but sometimes also a source of comfort or a therapist. A dog can be an essential companion for everyday life, especially for old people with limited social contact. The dog is always there, providing attention and affection. This is reason enough for Fressnapf to honour the city that understands the importance of these things and that pays attention to the situation for owners. The “Golden Dog Bowl” aims to motivate other cities to show greater commitment to their four-legged residents. Achim Schütz says: “We want to encourage Germany’s cities and municipalities to enable worthwhile, species-appropriate dog ownership in the urban jungle. We also want to stimulate discussion among the authorities and citizens and get them to tackle the issue of people and dogs in cities.”


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Golden Dog Bowl 2011 RGB - JPG Dogs welcome! Lord Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl (centre) accepted the “Golden Dog Bowl 2011” award for the dog-friendliest city on behalf of Augsburg. The award was presented by Fressnapf spokesman Achim Schütz (right). The 5,000 euros donation that goes with the “Golden Dog Bowl” award was given to Kathrin Hellinger (left), a representative of Tierfutternothilfe Augsburg. Photo: Fressnapf/Martin Morold Download (1897KB)

Golden Dog Bowl 2011 RGB - JPG (From left to right) Lord Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl, Sindy the dog, Kathrin Hellinger (Tierfutternothilfe) and Achim Schütz (Fressnapf spokesman). Photo: Fressnapf/Martin Morold Download (1931KB)

Golden Dog Bowl 2011 RGB - JPG Photo: Fressnapf/Martin Morold Download (3500KB)

Golden Dog Bowl 2011 RGB - JPG Picture: Fressnapf/Inge Heyen Download (310KB)