Dogs in Wuppertal: Dog tax, off-leash areas and rules

Dog tax in Wuppertal

First dog

€160 per year

Second dog

€288 per yearApplies to each dog when two dogs are kept.

Further levels

Only one dog 160 euros; two or more dogs 288 euros per dog (§ 2 Abs. 1).

Listed breed

€1,000 per yearDangerous dogs (so-called fighting dogs) 1,000 euros per dog (§ 2 Abs. 1 c); these include in any case the breeds named as dangerous in the State Dog Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (§ 3 Abs. 2) and dogs that are dangerous in an individual case (§ 2 Abs. 2).

Reductions and exemptions

Tax exemption, among others, for dogs demonstrably taken in directly from the Wuppertal animal shelter or certain other animal shelters (details in the bylaw); reduction on application to a quarter of the tax rate for certain recipients of social benefits, only for one dog (group of persons not evaluated in detail).

Registration

Within two weeks of taking the dog into the household, stating the breed; puppies from your own litter within two weeks after the dog has turned three months old (§ 8 Abs. 1).

checked on 29 October 2026

Off-leash areas in Wuppertal

Overview maps for the dog exercise areas Hardt, Nordpark, Gelber Sprung, Ehrenhain and Nützenbergpark; outside the exercise areas the requirement to keep dogs on a leash is mandatory.

Official overview

checked on 29 October 2026

Leash in Wuppertal

Separate city rules (e.g. green space bylaws, hazard prevention or dog ordinances) not checked; the rules of the federal state apply.

Leash rules in North Rhine-Westphalia

No guarantee

As of: 29 October 2026. The official text alone is authoritative. Source and date checked per row.

Not legal advice. We summarise the rules in plain language. This is a guide and does not replace information from the competent authority.