Switzerland: New Animal Welfare Regulations Came into Force

On the 1st of February 2025, new animal welfare regulations came into force in Switzerland, aimed at improving animal well-being. The commercial import of puppies under 15 weeks of age is now prohibited; only private owners are allowed to personally collect younger animals from foreign breeders. Additionally, the docking of lambs' tails is now banned, in line with regulations for other animal species.  Another significant measure concerns the electrical stunning of rabbits, which is now explicitly prohibited. Adjustments have also been made in the field of animal testing. For example, only as many animals may be bred as are necessary for conducting experiments, and specific regulations regarding the handling of animals used in experiments have been adapted accordingly. Animal welfare organizations, however, criticize that the federal government has failed to address several key concerns in the revision of the regulations. These include issues such as, but not limited to, improvements in the movement freedom of animals, ensuring social contact, and legally mandated fire protection measures for agricultural animal housing.