Apply for compensation from the Animal Disease Fund
Service description
In certain cases, you may receive compensation from the state and the animal disease compensation fund for the loss of animals, e.g., for losses due to notifiable diseases, cullings ordered by the authorities, and damages resulting from official control measures. Compensation is governed by the provisions of the Animal Health Act. You may receive compensation payments for animals of the following species kept for private, professional, or commercial purposes:
- Horses, donkeys, hinnies, mules
- Cattle (including bison, European bison, and water buffalo)
- Pigs
- Sheep
- Goats
- Poultry
- Enclosed Game
- Bees and Bumblebees
- Fish that are not kept as pets
The basis for calculating the amount of compensation is the general value of the animal. This is the amount of money (excluding VAT) you would have to spend to purchase an animal of equivalent value on the date of the loss. The basis for this calculation is, for example, the prices at livestock markets. The value of the animal does not change if the animal is sick, for example, if it is suffering from an infectious disease. Different maximum rates per animal apply depending on the species. Fish are compensated if they are culled by official order in the event of an outbreak of exotic fish diseases and the other requirements under animal health law are met.
Procedure
You must immediately notify the veterinary office with jurisdiction over you if you suspect an outbreak.
Once you have complied with the required animal health measures, you can submit your application to the Veterinary Office. Such measures include, for example, the culling of individual animals or the entire herd. The Veterinary Office will review and process the application and then submit it to the Animal Disease Fund.
The application form is also available for download on the Animal Disease Fund's website.
- Protection Against Animal Diseases - Report an Animal Disease
(Service description in Hessen-Finder)
- Protection Against Animal Diseases - Report an Animal Disease
Prerequisites
As the owner of the animals
- you must have reported the correct number of animals to the Animal Disease Fund,
- you must have paid your contributions to the animal disease fund on time,
- you must have reported the outbreak of the animal disease immediately,
- you must not have violated any laws (e.g., bans on feeding certain substances) and
- You must not have known, at the time of purchase, that the animals were infected with a disease.
What documents are required?
For more details, please contact your local veterinary office. In particular, the following requirements must be met:
- Claim for Compensation
- Detection of the disease
- Documentation of the Loss of an Animal
What fees apply?
None
What deadlines do I have to observe?
The completed application must be submitted to the Hessian Animal Disease Fund no later than 30 days after the animals were culled.
Legal basis
Applications / Forms