Animal welfare farm bars couple after man tries to reclaim dog

The animal welfare farm Pfotenhilfe in Lochen am See has barred a man and his partner from its premises after he allegedly tried to reclaim a dog previously taken from him. ORF reported that the man also tried to enter the farm’s residential building despite an animal-keeping ban.

The incident happened about a week ago during a visitor tour, Pfotenhilfe said. The man and his partner left the group and headed towards the residential building, where he said he wanted to take back his dog. Staff escorted them off the grounds, and the farm later issued a written ban against both.

The dog, a mixed-breed named Mausi, was taken from the man in November 2025 because of what Pfotenhilfe described as serious problems with her living conditions. The association said she had been chained to a radiator in a cluttered house.

The man, from Geretsberg in the Braunau district, appealed against the decision. The Upper Austrian Administrative Court ruled in favour of animal welfare in August 2026, according to Pfotenhilfe. During a hearing in June, he had allegedly demanded the dog’s return and said he would take her back.

Pfotenhilfe said an animal-keeping ban for farm animals had been in place against the man since 2001 and that a ban covering pets now also appeared to apply. The association said it had collected animals on behalf of authorities several times in recent years. The authorities and the man had not provided a statement at the time of publication.