October 8, 2025, 1:35 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
On World Dog Day, it becomes evident: Revenue from the dog tax continued to grow in 2024—alongside this, pet food is noticeably more expensive. What this means for pet owners.
Increasing Revenue from Dog Tax–up 39 Percent in Ten Years
In honor of World Dog Day on October 10, the Federal Statistical Office reports a new record high in dog tax revenue for 2024. Last year, approximately 430 million euros flowed into public coffers. This represents an increase of 2.2 percent compared to the previous year (2023: 421 million euros). In a long-term comparison, the rise is even more pronounced: Compared to 2014, when revenue was 309 million euros, there is an increase of 39.3 percent.
The dog tax is a municipal levy, the amount and structure of which are determined by individual cities and towns. Factors such as the number of dogs per household or the specific dog breed often influence the amount of the levy. Therefore, increased revenue does not necessarily indicate a rise in the number of dogs.
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Pet Food Prices Rise Significantly More Than Overall Consumer Prices
Beyond tax burdens, owning a dog is associated with growing expenses. As the Federal Statistical Office further reports, prices for dog and cat food in 2024 rose by an average of 2.3 percent compared to the previous year, slightly higher than the general inflation rate of 2.2 percent.
The mid-term comparison is even more striking: From 2020 to 2024, prices for dog and cat food increased by 35.3 percent. General consumer prices rose only 19.3 percent during this period. Thus, pet food has become disproportionately more expensive.
Demand: Use Dog Tax Revenue for Animal Welfare
Despite rising revenue from the dog tax, animal welfare organizations have not directly benefited from it. As a general levy, the dog tax flows into municipal budgets—and is used there for various purposes, such as administrative buildings, sports facilities, or vehicle fleets.
The president of the German Animal Welfare Federation, Thomas Schröder, has long called in a PETBOOK interview for at least part of these funds to be specifically allocated to animal shelters. “For animal welfare, I would like just half of the annual dog tax revenue,” Schröder said.
With these funds, supplemented by federal resources, a special fund for investments in animal shelters could be created. This would allow for the correction of structural deficiencies, implementation of energy measures, and better management of increased requirements in animal and occupational safety. Especially given the growing number of animals that are housed in shelters for longer periods.