715 A Different Policy (1/2)
Chapter 715: A Different Policy
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Of course, what Reina said was just a joke. In fact, owning a dog in Germany came with very strict rules; dog owners were required to walk their dogs at least three times a day, each walk lasting at least an hour. If the standard was not met, the government would dispatch a professional to walk your dog for you, charging ten Euros for each walk. If, during the process of walking the dog, the owner did not dispose of its dog's poop properly, then a hefty fine would be issued.
However, nothing could really be done about dogs eating their own waste, unless they were put through strict food refusal training, like police dogs. Another option was to train those dogs to relieve themselves outside and to put a muzzle on them when they were out for walks. Although it could be seen as unfair to the dogs, it was a much better option than having them lick their owners face after eating their own waste, which would only hurt feelings…
Reina brought Zhang Zian around the shop to take a look, occasionally answering some of his questions.
What struck Zhang Zian the most was the array of pet products in the shop. Every product for a specific use––for example, each kennel had multiple options to choose from, sometimes even going as far as tens of different options. Reina's shop was built to answer almost any request a customer could have.
They were gradually walking towards the end of the rows of shelves, which led to the front of the pet display and sales area.
The first thing that Zhang Zian saw were rabbits. In a row of custom made, glass rabbit cages––which were secured with a wooden skeletal frame––were a few different breeds of rabbits. There were Lop-eared Rabbits, White Rabbits, English Spot Rabbits, Netherland Dwarf Rabbits, and many others. Each rabbit took up one cage. The base of each rabbit cage was laid with a thick layer of hay, a stack of grass––meant for the rabbits to consume––was placed in a round food bowl, and there was even a delicate rabbit hutch made from wood by the side of the cage.
Pictures and descriptions were pasted at the front of every rabbit cage, which introduced the breed, habits, and feeding methods of the rabbit that resided within the cage. Although Zhang Zian was unable to understand the German words on them, he could make out the general idea from the pictures.
Zian walked up to the closest rabbit hutch and carefully observed it. Residing within the hutch was a light purple, Netherland Dwarf rabbit. It was small in size, round, and cute. It was eating the grass at the side of the cage when it turned and saw Zian, and then it instantly hopped away into the rabbit hutch.
Once he got closer, Zian noticed that the base of the cage was not laid with regular hay––it was scattered with bits of golden oat grass and the stack of green grass placed in the food bowl was also oat grass; it carried a rich milky fragrance.
Zhang Zian thought of Little Celery as he looked at these rabbits. He couldn't help but look around inside the store; he noticed that, among the crowd of customers, there were only a handful of children and teenagers, all of which were accompanied by adults.
Shouldn't the teenagers––who were in the prime of their rebellious phase––hate going out with their parents?
Zian threw his question out to Reina.
Reina pointed towards the few lines of German words that were beside the price tag on the rabbit cage and explained that, due to the regulations under the Animal Protection Law, anyone below the age of 16 was not be allowed to purchase a pet in Germany. Also according to the law, teenagers above the age of 16 were required to be accompanied by their guardian when purchasing a pet. They were also required to learn and understand how to raise their pets before they purchased––it was the same for an adult who wished to purchase a pet, too.
Reina also specially pointed out one point: in Germany, pets were not a suitable surprise gift for others––the other party had to be notified before the purchase and before it was gifted to them. Once pets were sold, they were considered non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Zhang Zian had also encountered many similar situations during his daily operations. Liu Sanlang, for example, had wanted to get a dog for Shi Shi as a surprise to make her happy. If Shi Shi refused to accept the dog, then Liu Sanlang had hoped that the dog could be returned. Such situations happened from time to time; it was not a rare, isolated incident.