Target: Dieter Romann, President, German Federal Police Headquarters, Potsdam, Germany
Goal: Ensure that the individual responsible for abandoning an injured senior dog tied to a steel pipe without food, water, or medical care is identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of German law.
For hours, the elderly dog had nowhere to go.
Unable to stand because of a severe hip injury, the frightened German Shepherd mix remained fastened to a steel pipe with a heavy industrial cable tie, waiting in a deserted railway maintenance corridor while pain, hunger, and thirst worsened. Had railway employees not found the animal in time, the outcome could have been far more tragic.
According to publicly reported information, security cameras captured an unidentified individual leading the senior dog into a secluded section of a major railway station before fastening the animal to a fixed steel structure and walking away. The dog was left without food, water, medication, or any possibility of escape despite suffering from an untreated hip fracture and advanced emaciation. Railway personnel later discovered the animal and summoned veterinary responders, who transported the dog to an emergency hospital where it remains under intensive care. German Federal Police have released surveillance images and are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the individual involved. Investigators continue reviewing additional footage and witness information. The investigation remains ongoing, and no court has determined criminal liability.
Abandoning an injured companion animal in a place where it cannot obtain food, water, or medical treatment represents a betrayal of the duty every owner owes to an animal in their care. Once identified, swift accountability for the person responsible would reinforce that companion animals cannot simply be discarded when they become old, sick, or inconvenient.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Romann,
The abandonment of a seriously injured senior dog has caused widespread concern among animal welfare advocates. Security footage shows the animal being deliberately secured to a steel pipe and left alone despite suffering from significant medical problems that prevented normal movement.
Police continue examining surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and seeking public assistance to identify the individual involved. Once a suspect is identified, these findings should be assessed through a complete and impartial investigation.
Please ensure that, once the individual is identified, they are prosecuted under the fullest provisions of Germany’s Animal Welfare Act. Companion animals deserve lifelong care—not abandonment that leaves them to suffer alone.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Jakub Hałun
