Jim McMahon

People in Germany may soon have to walk their dogs twice a day. Some lawmakers think that the nation’s 9.4 million dogs aren’t getting enough exercise, so they’re introducing regulations to ensure that each pooch spends at least an hour outside every day. (Going to the park or running around the yard counts too.) “Dogs are not cuddly toys,” says agriculture minister Julia Klöckner. “They also have their own needs, which need to be taken into account.” The proposed law has upset many pet owners, who point out that not all dogs need the same amount of activity. The policy may be aimed more at commercial breeders and kennel owners—who have faced criticism that they’re not caring for dogs properly—rather than individual owners. It’ll be up to each of Germany’s states to enforce the rule, which was applauded by animal rights groups. “A dog needs daily exercise in the open air,” Thomas Schröder of a German animal welfare association told NPR. “We welcome the fact that there are now more specific requirements.”