Frank Weber runs the Franziskus animal shelter in Hamburg. The animal rights activist and TV presenter about animal mediation in Corona times, illegal puppy trade and the absurd demands of some visitors.
You expect dogs or cats, but the first animals we meet in the “Franziskus-Tierheim” in Hamburg-Lokstedt are raccoons. One of the funny guys is rolling a hard-boiled egg back and forth between his delicate paws, the other is sitting in a bucket of water and lives up to his name. “They grew up with us,” explains Frank Weber, the manager of the house, which is run by the “Association against the abuse of animals”. The raccoons were given here as babies and some of them were taken home by the keepers and raised there. You really rarely experience so much personal commitment!
Suddenly everyone wanted an animal
It’s a warm June day and the shelter has never been empty. Usually there are up to 30 dogs, twice as many cats, plus mice, guinea pigs, parakeets and the like. But at the moment there are only a few small animals and a handful of dogs from Turkey, Romania and Fuerteventura that loudly greet every visitor.
“The fact that it is so empty here clearly has to do with the pandemic. Suddenly everyone wanted to have an animal, so that we are currently mainly selling dogs from abroad,” says Frank Weber. For example the two sweet pointer mixes Ela and Enna and the cute, troubled Pino from Romania, who in their spotlessly clean boxes with toys and dog beds are waiting for someone to fall in love with them and take them home. The chances are good, because the three look healthy and happy – and above all, very pretty. “Looks play a major role in the adoption decision,” explains home manager Weber, and you can clearly see how he feels about it.
We can already see that it will be very crowded again soon
One could think that an empty animal shelter would be a positive result, but Frank Weber expresses concerns: “We can already see that it will soon be very full here again,” he says. Because as soon as the normal working day is back and many of the new dog owners find that they cannot look after the animals as it was possible in a year with home office, the boxes should fill up again. “Then there are the many dogs from the illegal puppy trade, which exploded on platforms like Ebay during the pandemic,” says Weber. It is particularly bad with French Bulldogs, they are very fashionable, but often sick due to their breed and are given back as soon as veterinary costs are incurred.
Frank Weber is an animal rights activist through and through. The Heidelberg resident has been running the “Franziskus-Tierheim” for 17 years – with heart and mind. And not only that: Many know the 53-year-old as the presenter of the television program “hundkatzemaus” at VOX, where he stands up for pets or farm animals in difficult situations and lovingly transfers them to other hands. As much as Weber’s heart beats for animals: He is of course aware that an animal shelter also has to operate and that there is no money in the coffers with a pure love of animals. For example, a dog costs the home around 600 euros in medical and housing costs, and it is given away for 300 euros. So it doesn’t work without donations, and Weber is grateful that the “Franziskus-Tierheim” made a larger inheritance last year. Because 85 percent of all ten animal shelters of the umbrella organization come from donations.
In the course of his working life, Frank Weber has experienced and seen a lot, there is no animal welfare issue that he does not get into gear. But he gets really angry about the expectations of some of his visitors: “In the past, you took an animal out of your home to do something good. Today I feel like a used car dealer,” he says. People want a guarantee on everything if possible. That is why Weber sees the focus of his work in providing information and advice. Because whoever takes an animal from the home always carries a residual risk: The animals are examined and medically looked after, but nobody knows what they have been through in their previous life or what diseases they can develop. That is why it is so important that the people who give their animals to the home for referral are honest when giving their reasons. “Unfortunately, most of them do not dare to say that they are simply overwhelmed or that the animal no longer suits their living conditions,” said Weber. Animal hair allergy, separation or biting attacks are then simply pushed forward. The latter in particular is dramatic for the future of a dog, because it is then almost impossible to place it and hardly has a chance of finding a new owner.
On average, the animals stay in the “Franziskus-Tierheim” for between three days and three months. Six permanently employed nurses, some 450 euro workers and numerous volunteers take care of the well-being of the respective residents with devotion. Your day starts at nine in the morning, then you go for a walk, you feed, the cages are cleaned and medicines are given out. The next walk is at 1 p.m., and the home is open to visitors and interested parties from 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Then questions are answered, animals are petted and each other sniffed on the large open-air area. For example, if a dog has won someone’s heart, the person is first put through their paces. Multiple walks with the potential new protégé included. Frank Weber wants his animals to really find a loving home – for the rest of their lives.
This article originally appeared in Guido issue No. 10/2021.