Minister Adema plans to ban puppy yoga in Amsterdam
Minister Adema has expressed his disapproval of puppy yoga, stating, “I do not find it appropriate. Puppies need to sleep. They are in a very early stage of their development.”
According to experts, eight-week-old puppies should sleep for about twenty hours a day. However, hidden camera footage revealed that the young dogs were brought to the location by a breeder and used all day to cuddle with yoga participants.
Behavioral and health issues
In response to this, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) conducted inspections. A spokesperson for the NVWA stated, “Our own inspections revealed that the puppies were being awakened and used for multiple sessions in a row, leading to overstimulation that can result in short and long-term behavioral and health issues.”
The authority is planning to impose two fines of 1500 euros on the yoga organization for restricting the puppies’ natural behavior. However, the fines are not yet final. The organization has the opportunity to respond to the allegations before the fines become official.
‘Absurd practices’
Minister Adema strongly criticized puppy yoga, saying, “It serves no purpose and is completely absurd.” The outgoing minister is preparing a ban that his successor can implement once the new government is in place.
In the meantime, Adema urges people who have signed up for ‘such absurd practices’ to reconsider participating in puppy yoga. The NVWA also advises consumers to be cautious about joining these classes.
The organization behind the puppy yoga in Amsterdam is based in Paris and also operates in Milan, Munich, and Monaco. They were unavailable for comment.