[Animal welfare and church]

In the author"s opinion the potential and the social importance of churches are underestimated especially regarding the practical animal welfare. Nevertheless the protestant and catholic church are still associations with a great number of members and have an infrastructure, which is unmatched. Even concerning the content there are clear positions from the church concerning the "relations between human being and animal" or rather the "responsibility which man takes for the animal as a co-creature", as numerous publications show. As a result each sort of co-operation with parishes should be tried for the purposes of the animal welfare, whenever it is possible.