Berlin's gourmet restaurant for dogs sparks howls of 'immorality'

A dog named Pivo looks at the Pets Deli food shop for dogs and cats in Berlin's Gruenewald district on January 2, 2014. Photo/AFP 

In Summary

• "Does Berlin really need a gourmet restaurant for dogs?" asked the top-selling Bild daily.
• "A store this decadent gives the impression that we do more for animals than for children," charged Wolfgang Buescher, of the "Ark" charity, which works with disadvantaged minors.
• "Junk food is bad for animals," he told AFP. "It's as if I ate fast food every day. I may like it, but it's very bad for your health."

By AFP
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Germany's first restaurant for dogs and cats opened in Berlin over the festive holidays, drawing charges the luxury eatery for furry friends is "decadent".

"Does Berlin really need a gourmet restaurant for dogs?" asked the top-selling Bild daily.

Pets Deli offers its tasty treats for domestic animals in the upscale neighbourhood of Grunewald, with meals priced from three to six euros (about $4-6), and treats like cupcakes for four euros.

They are sold to go in plastic trays or can be consumed on-site, in metal bowls set before homey wooden logs, while their owners have a coffee.

'WE DO MORE FOR ANIMALS THAN FOR CHILDREN'

"A store this decadent gives the impression that we do more for animals than for children," charged Wolfgang Buescher, of the "Ark" charity, which works with disadvantaged minors.

Business owner David Spanier, 31, had the idea for the doggy deli after finding his own canine friend could not digest pet food from supermarkets.

"Junk food is bad for animals," he told AFP. "It's as if I ate fast food every day. I may like it, but it's very bad for your health."

The store manager, Katharina Warkalla, is an animal nutrition expert and serves up portions of beef, turkey or kangaroo meat with broccoli or berries, and "carbs" such as rice, pasta or potatoes.

"The meat is of such quality that it could be safely consumed by humans", said Spanier.