The TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal

Species-appropriate, transparent & animal welfare compliant.

This awards TOBALIE-tested services & products:

As an independent and central contact point for animal owners, TOBALIE establishes for the first time a transnational seal for the identification of species-appropriate and animal welfare compliant products and services in Europe that are appropriate to the species and conform to animal welfare requirements. This enables consumers to recognise them immediately and to make use of them without worries.

General guidelines & sector-specific criteria

The seal is based on new scientific findings and the Austrian Federal Animal Welfare Act (TSchG) and creates complete transparency for animal owners and service providers. These are checked by TOBALIE for the following general as well as sector-specific guidelines and, if they successfully pass the subject-specific test, are accepted into the TOBALIE network. TOBALIE carries out continuous, unannounced quality controls in addition to subject-specific tests. If during the test procedure or during a quality control there is a contradiction with the general or branch-specific guidelines of TOBALIE, the animal welfare seal must be removed from services and products.

Thus, the seal is only awarded to tested experts and products that fully meet the following general criteria as well as those within their industry.

General guidelines

TOBALIE sets the following guidelines across all sectors:

Professional qualification & legal guidelines

  • A sound education in the respective field of work is required, as well as voluntary regular further education and training. A trade licence in the respective field of activity is also required.
  • The activity carried out serves the welfare of the animals, a species-appropriate and animal welfare compliant working method is assumed.
  • Basic knowledge about the organism and the anatomy of the animal as well as about reading and interpreting the expressive behaviour of the animals is assumed as well as the possession and observance of breed knowledge.

Sense of responsibility & serious appearance

  • Special emphasis is placed on a respectful, responsible and sensitive treatment of people and animals, which guarantees that nobody is endangered by negligence or intent.
  • If the animal owner cannot be helped sufficiently within his/her own area of responsibility, he/she will be referred to a certified expert.
  • If a medical concern is suspected, a veterinary surgeon must be consulted so that any medical causes are always treated in consultation with a trained specialist.
  • If there is an injury to the animal or if a medical connection is suspected, the animal owners are informed immediately and the animal is treated by a veterinarian.
  • Care is taken to avoid unnecessary stress situations for the animal.

Personal, individual advice

  • The animal owner is informed at all times about what is currently happening, the methods used and the associated limits, alternatives are explained and the further procedure is jointly agreed.
  • No healing promises may be made regarding the expected effects of the consultations or treatments; this would be dubious.
  • At no time will the nervous strain on the pet owners be used for personal purposes.

Exclusion criterion under the general directives:

  • Methods or aids are used which unjustifiably inflict pain, suffering or injury on the animal or cause it severe distress.
  • Animals are regarded as a thing and considered subordinate and inferior to humans.
  • Exploiting animals for personal enrichment.

Industry-specific guidelines

Based on the general guidelines, TOBALIE establishes the following, profession-specific guidelines for the respective industry:

Animal trainers

Professional qualification & legal guidelines

– A well-founded education in the respective field of work is required, as well as annual advanced and further education. Likewise a trade license as well as work experience must be present.

– The practiced work serves the welfare of the animals, a species-appropriate and animal welfare-compliant working method is required.

– The training is non-violent, needs-oriented, based on reward and positive reinforcement.

– Behavior of the dog is not extra provoked.

– Any form of aversive training methods are rejected.

– Knowledge of learning theories as well as different forms of training.

– Train individually, adapted to the particular animal and the pet owner.

– The training level and experience of the respective animal are taken into account with regard to the further training plan.

– To create the training plans, the respective phase of life, the associated energy metabolism, the physical appearance and the individual needs of the animal are taken into account.

Education contents & level of knowledge

For the qualification, in any case, the essential basics in the following content areas must be able to be proven:

– Animal welfare appropriate training methods, knowledge and application of animal welfare appropriate training methods, animal welfare relevance of various training aids.

– Learning behavior of dogs and learning methodology, learning theory basics of classical conditioning and operant conditioning as well as cognitive and social learning in dogs.

– Expressive behavior of dogs, communication behavior of dogs towards conspecifics as well as humans according to certain moods (especially fear, stress, appeasement, defense) and breed-specific differences.

– Nature and behavior of dogs, social behavior, species-specific behavior of dogs in normal situations versus conflict situations, character and temperament assessment, social order and resource control in dogs.

– Fear and aggression behavior, causes and development of avoidance behavior and defensive behavior as well as fear and aggression avoidance in everyday life and dog training.

– Stress in dogs, neurophysiology of stress, stress avoidance measures and stress management, effects of stress in everyday life and dog training.

– Breed knowledge and breed specific behavior: History of origin of each breed and their suitability, individual and breed-specific differences in behavior.

– Keeping and living with a dog in a manner appropriate to the species: species- and breed-specific requirements for keeping, feeding, caring for and exercising the dog, questions of how dogs and humans live together in everyday life.

– Breeding and raising dogs, basics of dog breeding, puppy development and socialization phases, puppy-friendly learning and requirements for “puppy schools”.

– Ethology of the dog, evolution and history of the dog, evolution of behaviors and motor, sensory and cognitive abilities of the dog.

– Law, animal welfare law, legal issues of dog ownership.

– Veterinary medicine basics, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, vaccinations, common diseases and hereditary diseases, genetics and anatomy, first aid in dogs.

– Communication and didactics, basics of communication and rhetoric, teaching of learning content and structure of training tasks.

– Basics of the human-animal relationship in general and the human-dog relationship in particular, human-dog communication, sources of danger and how to avoid them, dealing with children & dogs in the same household.

– Dog sports, divisions of dog sports and other forms of employment of dogs including their training requirements, animal welfare relevant issues in the various divisions/training processes.

This level of knowledge also meets the requirements of the animal welfare qualified dog trainer. The examination can be held through the Messerli Institute.

Sense of responsibility & serious appearance

– Special emphasis is placed on a respectful, responsible and sensitive approach to people and animals, which guarantees that no one is endangered by negligence or intent.

– If the animal owner cannot be adequately helped within his/her own area of responsibility, a referral will be made to a qualified expert.

– If a medical concern is suspected, a veterinarian must be consulted so that any medical causes are always treated in consultation with a trained medical specialist.

– If the animal is injured or if a medical connection is suspected, the animal owner will be informed immediately and the animal will be treated by a veterinarian.

– Care is taken to avoid unnecessary stress situations for the animal.

Personal, individual consultation

– The animal owner will be informed at any time about current happenings, applied methods and associated limitations, alternatives will be explained and the further procedure will be agreed upon together.

– No healing promises may be given regarding the expected effects of the consultations or treatments, this would be unserious.

– At no time will the nervous strain of the animal owners be used for personal purposes.

– Training is individual and adapted to the respective animal and the animal owner.

– The training level and the experience of the respective animal are taken into account with regard to the further training plan.

– For the creation of the training plans the respective phase of life, the associated energy metabolism, the physical appearance as well as the individual needs of the animal are taken into account.

Exclusion criterion within the general guidelines:

– Methods or tools are used which inflict pain, suffering or harm on the animal or put it in severe fear.

– Animals are considered as a thing and inferior to humans.

– Exploitation of animals for personal gain.

– In case of justified suspicion of a violation of the guidelines, the membership can be terminated with immediate effect.

Animal caretakers

The sector-specific guidelines for animal caretakers are based on the general guidelines of the TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal and must be equally fulfilled.

  • Possess experience in dealing with the species to be cared for.
  • Possess a valid liability insurance.
  • Maintain a loving, non-violent relationship with people and animals.
  • Are characterized by reliability and trustworthiness.
  • Ensure cleanliness with the use of cleaning agents suitable for animals, during the entire care period (e.g. cleaning of eating and drinking containers as well as bedrooms and recreation rooms).
  • When caring for several animals, care is taken to ensure that only animals which are compatible and healthy are cared for together.
  • If more than five animals are cared for at the same time, a second animal caregiver must be present.

Pet hairdressers

The sector-specific guidelines for animal nutrition consultants are based on the general guidelines of the TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal and must be equally fulfilled.

  • Reject the use of gallows (any loop-like attachment, especially in the head and neck area. collar, loops, etc.) and hairdryer box.
  • Know the differences of the different fur types.
  • Can cut the coat according to the breed standard of the FCI.
  • Tactile hair is not shortened. (Exception: neglected animals where there is no other possibility)

Animal nutritionists

The sector-specific guidelines for animal nutrition consultants are based on the general guidelines of the TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal and must be equally fulfilled.

  • They have in-depth knowledge of each type of feeding and can determine which type of feeding is necessary and health-promoting in which composition, adapted to the individual nutrient requirements of the animal.
  • Have the necessary knowledge of the exact declaration as well as the individual ingredients and analytical components of pet food.
  • Pay attention in their advice to the connection between nutrition, diseases or behaviour in the animal and consult a veterinarian if necessary.
  • When putting together a diet or drawing up a feeding plan, the respective phase of life and the associated energy metabolism, the physical appearance and the individual needs of the animal are taken into account.

Animal energists

The sector-specific guidelines for animal energetics are based on the general guidelines of the TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal and must be equally fulfilled.

  • Respectful work with people and animals.
  • The animals are not forced or pushed to do anything, their needs are taken into account at all times.
  • Energetic orders are accepted exclusively by the pet owner of the respective animal.
  • All information obtained during the interview is subject to confidentiality and will not be disclosed to third parties.
  • A common solution is worked out which is satisfactory for both humans and animals.

Animal masseurs

The industry-specific guidelines for animal masseurs, physiotherapists & chiropractors are based on the general guidelines of the TOBALIE Animal Welfare Seal and must be equally fulfilled.

  • Knowledge of the physiology and locomotor system of the animal is required.
  • Work without violence, based on reward and with positive reinforcement.
  • Reject any form of aversive training methods.
  • Training individually, adapted to the respective animal and the pet owner.
  • The respective phase of life, the physical appearance and the individual needs of the animal are considered.

Veterinarians, Physiotherapists & Chiropractors

Veterinarians are qualified for the medical care and treatment of animals through a state-approved, university education. Further guidelines are therefore not necessary and enable the use of the TOBALIE Partner Seal.

Animal undertakers

  • Sensitive advice.
  • Dignified treatment of the animal carcasses.
  • In the case of an individual cremation, the undertaker guarantees pure ashes from the respective animal.

Pet shops

  • Sell species-appropriate food and accessories
  • Attention to quality
  • Individual consultation

Artists

  • Loving interaction with people and animals
  • Attention is paid to the welfare of the animal (taking breaks, etc.)

Animal homes, shelters, graveyards

  • Advice on the adoption of an animal
  • Loving interaction with humans and animals
  • Attention is paid to the welfare of the animals
  • Authorisation under the Animal Welfare Act (Austria § 31 (1))

Holiday accommodation

  • Attention is paid to hygiene and cleanliness
  • Loving interaction with humans and animals
  • Attention is paid to the welfare of the animals
  • Dogs are welcome guests

FOOD, ACCESSORIES & TOYS

  • Transparent declaration of ingredients:
    We believe in transparency. The ingredient declaration of every product awarded our seal must be clear, comprehensive and easy to understand. Through this openness, we enable dog owners to make informed decisions and ensure that they choose only the best for their faithful companions.
  • Clear indication of origin:
    For the award of our quality seal, it is essential that the exact origin of each product is clearly stated. This not only creates trust, but also enables dog owners to trace the origin and promote sustainability.
  • Independent and free awarding:
    The quality seal is awarded independently and free from any external influence. We test objectively and according to our own standards to ensure that every product bearing our seal has earned this award based on its characteristics. Integrity and independence are essential values for us.
  • Promotional promises and transparency:
    We take great care to ensure that advertising promises are kept and that reality matches expectations. Our guidelines require that products with our quality seal not only convince through appealing advertising, but that the actual performance and composition correspond to the promises. Honesty and reliability are the cornerstones of our quality seal.

These guidelines reflect our commitment to the highest standards and the well-being of dogs. By adhering to these principles, we aim not only to promote high-quality products, but also to strengthen dog owners’ confidence in the products they choose for their beloved pets.

Siegel hundefreundliche Gemeinde

Dog-friendly Towns

  • TOBALIE experts are consulted on questions about dog keeping.
  • Dogs are welcome and it will be informed about the topic in order to promote a peaceful coexistence.Information materials are provided for both dog owners and citizens without dogs.  Most accidents with dogs are avoidable if the body language is observed and the four-legged friends are kept species-appropriate. That is why it is important to provide information about them.
  • Dog-friendly infrastructure (bathing areas, poop bag dispensers, dog run areas, drinking fountains, etc.). Exclude dog zones under 2000m², as they are not large enough to provide enough exercise and space for the animals to get out of each other’s way if necessary and avoid bite accidents. Ideally, dog zones are over 3000m² in size, divided into two areas (large/small dogs), provide shade and drinking water areas, are well-maintained, have a variety of surfaces (grass, sand, gravel, stones, etc.), and provide employment opportunities for the dogs (such as sandboxes for digging, logs for climbing, etc.). Alternatively, areas where dogs are allowed to move freely. Individual benchmarks are set depending on the ratio of residents to registered dogs.
  • The dog-friendly infrastructure is made available online to citizens and tourists. The online map is integrated on the community homepage or can be offered by linking to the TOBALIE map (Tobalie | Pet Map | Dog zones and more). The location data must be kept up to date.

Revocation of the TOBALIE animal welfare seal

In the following cases, the seal is withdrawn and may no longer be used.

  • Violation or non-compliance with one or more of the guidelines.
  • Retirement as a TOBALIE network partner.
  • Failure or refusal to pass or refuse a quality control.