Gourmet restaurant for dogs and cats opens in Berlin
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Pets and their owners are lapping up Germany's first restaurant catering specifically for cats and dogs.
Beef, turkey or even kangaroo meat with broccoli or berries are all on the menu which has been devised by a pet nutritionist.
Treats in Pets Deli, which opened over Christmas in the upmarket Gruenewald district of the capital, range from €3 to €6, with cupcakes costing €4.
The gourmet eatery has seen a steady influx of hungry animals for whom ordinary food simply won't do.
Owners can enjoy a coffee in the plush surroundings while their pets tuck into a bowl of specially prepared meals, tailored for the animals' digestion, or they can take the food away in a plastic tray doggy bag.
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 The Local news website, adding: '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 carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or potatoes.
'The meat is of such quality that it could be safely consumed by humans', said Spanier.
But the opening of the deli in the upmarket neighbourhood of Grunewald, in the German capital has provoked controversy, with some critics saying it is a symbol of pure decadence.
Leading newspaper Bild asked: 'Does Berlin really need a gourmet restaurant for dogs?'
Wolfgang Büscher, of the Ark charity, which works with disadvantaged youngsters said: 'A store this decadent gives the impression that we do more for animals than for children.'
Lapping it up: A happy customer tucks into a bowl of gourmet food at the Pets Deli restaurant for cats and dogs in Berlin, German
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But the opening of the deli in the upmarket neighbourhood of Grunewald, in the German capital has provoked controversy, with some critics saying it is a symbol of pure decadence.
Leading newspaper Bild asked: 'Does Berlin really need a gourmet restaurant for dogs?'
Wolfgang Büscher, of the Ark charity, which works with disadvantaged youngsters said: 'A store this decadent gives the impression that we do more for animals than for children.'
This part by Mr Buscher is totally nonsense. He's just saying something for the sake of saying something.
This is a gourmet restaurant for dogs and not a charity eatery. People are paying a premium price for gourmet dog food. It's not a resturant serving free dog food.
Mr Buscher statement will be more applicable if this was a charity eatery serving free food.