Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere e.V. (bmt)

Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere e.V. (bmt), rendered in English as the Association against Abuse of Animals, is a Germany-wide non-profit animal welfare association headquartered in Cologne. Its predecessor organisation, the "Verein gegen die Vivisektion von Tieren" (Association against the Vivisection of Animals), was founded in 1922 and campaigned chiefly against animal testing, poor keeping conditions and the cruel treatment of animals. That association was banned and dissolved during the National Socialist period. The organisation was re-founded in 1952 with its seat in Munich, and in October 2014 the association's seat was moved to Cologne, where the head office remains today. The bmt is a membership-based registered association (eingetragener Verein). It is led by four board members who are elected every four years at the annual general meeting of members. It maintains a nationwide network of eleven regional offices (Geschäftsstellen) and nine animal shelters, together with an animal welfare centre in Pfullingen. Membership stood at just under 12,000 in 2012 and just under 13,000 in 2015. The association publishes a quarterly magazine, "Das Recht der Tiere" (The Right of Animals), with a print run of 47,000 copies. It is a member of the Deutscher Spendenrat, the umbrella body representing fundraising non-profit organisations in Germany, and of the Deutscher Naturschutzring, the German umbrella organisation for nature, animal and environmental protection. In terms of activities, the bmt runs regular campaigns on specific animal welfare themes, including street dogs, birds, the prohibition of ritual slaughter (Schächten), the hunting of baby seals and bullfighting. Abroad, the association is active above all in Romania and Hungary. Its public-facing work includes its shelters and animal welfare centre, its magazine and its campaign and event calendar, such as the annual general meeting and the event calendar of the Elisabethenhof shelter in Reichelsheim. As a charitable association rather than a commercial company, the bmt is not a listed or profit-oriented enterprise; it is funded through memberships, donations and related non-profit income. Its brand identity is built around animal protection, shelter operations and public campaigning in Germany and selected neighbouring countries.

The organisation's history begins with its predecessor, the "Verein gegen die Vivisektion von Tieren" (Association against the Vivisection of Animals), founded in 1922. This early association campaigned above all against animal testing, poor keeping conditions and the cruel treatment of animals. During the period of National Socialism the association was banned and dissolved. In 1952 the organisation was re-founded, with its seat in Munich. Under the name Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere e.V. (bmt) it developed into a Germany-wide non-profit animal welfare association. In October 2014 the association's seat was relocated to Cologne, where the head office is based. Over the decades the bmt built a nationwide structure of regional offices and animal shelters. By the 2010s it maintained eleven regional offices (Geschäftsstellen), nine animal shelters and an animal welfare centre in Pfullingen. Membership grew from just under 12,000 in 2012 to just under 13,000 in 2015. The association publishes the quarterly magazine "Das Recht der Tiere" with a print run of 47,000 copies, and it is a member of the Deutscher Spendenrat and the Deutscher Naturschutzring. Its campaigning work has addressed themes such as street dogs, birds, the prohibition of ritual slaughter (Schächten), the hunting of baby seals and bullfighting. Internationally, the bmt is active above all in Romania and Hungary. The association continues to operate its shelters and centre, hold annual member meetings and publish its magazine and event calendars.

• 2015

  Membership stood at just under 13,000.

• 2014

  Association seat relocated to Cologne in October.

• 2012

  Membership stood at just under 12,000.

• 1952

  Association re-founded with its seat in Munich.

• 1922

  Predecessor organisation "Verein gegen die Vivisektion von Tieren" founded, campaigning against animal testing and cruel treatment of animals.

Non-profit, membership-based German animal welfare association focused on shelter operations, animal protection campaigns and public advocacy.

• Animal shelters (9)

• Animal welfare centre in Pfullingen

• Quarterly magazine "Das Recht der Tiere" (print run 47,000)

1. 1bmt e.V. | Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere e.V.bmt-tierschutz.bmtev.de
2. 2Association against abuse of animals - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org