Overview

• A tourist confined her medium-sized dog and a stroller in a metal valuables locker at Schloss Neuschwanstein despite warnings about high temperatures.
• Security service freed the overheated dog, which shared the locker with a stroller, and police transported it unharmed to the Füssen station.
• As of July 8, the owner retrieved the dog after police admonished her for misusing the locker, but a criminal investigation under the Animal Welfare Act remains open.
• The lack of on-site kennels or pet-care services at major tourist attractions has come under scrutiny following the incident.
• Online commentators and animal advocacy groups are calling for tougher penalties and potential custody bans for violations of Germany’s animal welfare regulations.