Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, there have been significantly more dog owners in Hamburg – and the income from the dog tax is higher than ever. While there were 52,293 registered dog owners in 2019, there were already 62,336 at the beginning of 2023, according to the financial authorities of the German Press Agency. The growth to four paws certainly has something to do with the pandemic. More and more people are in the home office and thus have the opportunity to take care of the animals.

But not only in the course of the corona pandemic was there a large increase, the tax authority said. Ten years ago there were only 44,065 registered dog owners in Hamburg. The income from the dog tax has increased by over one million euros in relation to 2019. In a ten-year comparison, revenue increased by over two million euros.