Waldi, the official mascot of the 1972 Olympics, was modeled on a dachshund called Fritz (the real dog in the middle). Courtesy Kerstin Schwartz“The sausage dog is part of Germany’s cultural heritage,” Marion Michelet, chairwoman from the Deutscher Teckelklub Berlin-Brandenburg kennel club and owner of a dachshund called Pepper, told CNN Wednesday. Michelet told CNN that the “abnormalities of the skeletal system” could be seen as a ban on breeding for “any significant size deviation from wolves,” which are the ancestor of all modern-day dogs. Germany’s agriculture ministry denied that the new draft bill would amount to a ban on particular breeds, including the sausage dog. “For 136 years we have not changed our standard breeding practices.”“If the breeding ban happens it would have a significant impact” on dog breeders like her, she said, adding: “I hope it won’t come to that.”

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Persons: CNN —, Snoopy, Fritz, Napoleon Bonaparte, Germany’s, Kaiser Wilhelm II, “ Erdmann, ”, Pablo Picasso, Le Chien, Germany's, Kerstin Schwartz, ” Marion Michelet, Pepper, Michelet Organizations: CNN, German Kennel, Bettmann, Olympic, Deutscher Teckelklub Locations: Germany, Brandenburg, Berlin