{
  "id": 12575256,
  "title": "Kostspielige Tierliebe: Teures Futter und hohe Hundesteuer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/kostspielige-tierliebe-teures-futter-und-hohe-hundesteuer",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T07:15:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/kostspielige-tierliebe-teures-futter-und-hohe-hundesteuer/100260326.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Maintaining pets remains expensive in Germany. Both revenue from the dog tax and the costs of dog and cat food remained near record levels last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The municipalities collected a historically second-highest amount of dog tax, with 429.7 million euros, only slightly higher than in 2024 when it reached 200,000 euros more. However, the statistical office could not determine if the slight revenue decline corresponds to a reduced number of animals. The tax rates vary, sometimes considering the number of dogs or the breed. In 2015, municipalities earned 322.0 million euros in dog tax, significantly less than the current figure.\n\nDog and cat food prices provided a brief respite for pet owners. Compared to the previous year, prices for these items increased by only 0.4 percent, significantly slower than the general consumer prices, which grew by 2.2 percent. However, in the long run, women and men will be asked to part with more money: pet food was 35.8 percent more expensive last year than in 2020. Consumer prices only rose by 21.9 percent over the same period.",
  "summary": "Hundesteuer und Futterpreise bleiben hoch: Tierhalterinnen und Tierhalter müssen weiterhin tief in die Tasche greifen.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}