GERMANY — Officials in Germany have released a draft of a bill that could affect multiple dog breeds in the country.

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The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture published a draft bill in February. The bill is proposed to help ”torture breeding” or breeding animals for certain characteristics that are not good for them, according to The New York Times.

The ban could affect the reproduction of breeds that have certain issues like spine issues in “dogs that have short legs and a long back” for example, according to CNN.

The draft of the bill also comes with requirements for breeding certain kinds of dogs like dachshunds, according to a statement from the V.D.H., Germany’s kennel club obtained by the Times. Other breeds possibly affected could be beagles, Jack Russell terriers and miniature schnauzers.

Dachshunds have a huge history in Germany, according to CNN. Napoleon Bonaparte had multiple dachshunds. Kaiser Wilhelm II had one, as well. Pablo Picasso’s dachshund inspired some of his famous art.

The Olympics’ first official mascot was a dachshund who was featured during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, according to CNN.

“Some of the disease characteristics listed in the draft law are too vague and undefined,” Leif Kopernik, the chief executive of the V.D.H., said in a statement on Thursday, according to the Times. “Whether too small or too large, if the Animal Welfare Act were to be implemented in its current form, many popular and healthy dog breeds could be banned from breeding.”

The V.D.H. has issued a petition to possibly save the affected dog breeds. The petition claims that the draft bill leaves too much room for interpretation. According to CNN, as of Wednesday, the petition has more than 15,000 signatures.

“The issue at hand pertains to the characteristics stemming from breeding for deformity and the overall welfare of animals, not, as erroneously asserted, to a blanket prohibition targeting specific breeds,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food said, according to the newspaper.

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