February 10, 2025, 9:29 am | Read time: 3 minutes
February 14 has been known for many years as the day of lovers and is celebrated almost everywhere in the world as Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, in addition to sweet vows of love, public displays of affection, and small gifts, live puppies are often given as gifts. A development that the animal welfare organization Peta and Jochen Bendel view critically.
Time and again, you see video clips on social media – mostly from influencers – who surprise their partner with a cute puppy for Valentine’s Day. The emotion and joy of the recipients cannot be overlooked. A development that TV presenter Jochen Bendel and the animal welfare organization Peta do not approve of. “There are a thousand times better ways to show someone your love on Valentine’s Day. Feelings are great, but feelings are also fleeting,” explains Jochen Bendel in an interview with PETBOOK.
Jochen Bendel: “Decide to adopt instead of buying”
“At the end of the day, you have an animal that needs attention and love for its whole life. There are responsibilities involved, and you have to be a reliable partner.” Simply letting yourself be led by exuberance and wanting to give a very special gift is not the right way to show your love. “Quite the opposite,” warns the presenter. “It’s actually extremely selfish. You don’t even think about the animal’s feelings.” In principle, animals should not simply be given away. As they are sentient beings, you should think carefully about whether you can do justice to an animal before you buy it.
Jochen Bendel urges anyone who feels confident enough to take on this responsibility not to buy a dog from a breeder but to adopt one from an animal welfare organization. “On Valentine’s Day, we should also share our love with animals. And that’s exactly what people do when they choose a dog from an animal shelter. Please don’t go to a breeder because the animal shelters are full, and the animals there need our support. Have a big heart – and decide to adopt instead of buying.”
Animal shelters throughout Germany have been overcrowded for years, and the animals there are urgently waiting for a new, loving home. “At the same time, the breeding industry ‘produces’ many new animals every day and accepts that they suffer and die,” explains Peta on its website. The situation is particularly critical after the holidays. This is because many dogs are bought as gifts without much thought, which increases the demand for animals that are kept in a way that is contrary to animal welfare and from the puppy trade.1
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“Just like our Snoopy, who we would never want to miss again”
According to Peta, a considerable number of the dogs given away end up in an animal shelter a short time later. “This change is associated with stress and suffering for the often young animals. At the same time, the chance of a loving home in a new family decreases for countless four-legged friends in animal shelters as a result of buying a dog.” A phenomenon that dog trainer and TV star Jochen Bendel can confirm. He himself has been involved in animal welfare for years and has, therefore, seen a lot. Because he also wants to make a difference, he decided to adopt an animal welfare dog himself, as he reveals in an interview with Bild der Frau.
“Through my work as a dog trainer and in my TV shows, I am regularly confronted with special animal fates. Many animal shelters are currently sounding the alarm again; they are bursting at the seams. That’s why it’s so important to raise awareness of responsible animal adoption.” He continues: “This also includes honestly describing what this path can look like with our adoption story. There are so many furry friends in our shelters who deserve a second chance, just like our Snoopy, who we would never want to miss again.”2