Animal-abusive leisure formats and terrarium exhibitions

The government council is mandated to ensure, in cooperation with the competent federal and cantonal authorities as well as the municipalities, that events with animals such as hunting, sport fishing and terrarium exhibitions on cantonal territory strictly comply with the Animal Welfare Act (TSchG; SR 455) and the Animal Welfare Ordinance (TSchV; SR 455.1) and no longer contribute to the normalization or legitimization of animal cruelty.

It is specifically mandated:​

1. To examine and report, to what extent exhibitions and event formats on cantonal territory that stage hunting, sport fishing and terrarium keeping as leisure and consumer worlds result in a de facto legitimization of attitudes and practices that may fulfill the elements of animal cruelty under Art. 26 TSchG (abuse, neglect, unnecessary overexertion or disregard for the dignity of animals) or other criminal provisions of animal welfare law.
2. To ensure, that at events with live animals (particularly terrariums) systematic controls are conducted to verify whether the legal minimum requirements for keeping, care, transport and sale are being met, and that criminal and administrative proceedings are consistently initiated when there is suspicion of unlawful or animal-abusive keeping.
3. To require municipalities and event venues (e.g. exhibition centers and so-called environmental or experience arenas), not to reduce their role to a supposedly "neutral platform," but to ensure when granting permits, in rentals and in advertising that no formats are supported that normalize or trivialize systemic abuses in animal keeping – such as in terrarium keeping.
4. To propose, how permit conditions, advertising and poster permits in public spaces, safety, animal welfare and food law requirements as well as cooperation with cantonal specialist departments can be used so that events with heightened risk of violations against the Animal Welfare Act can be identified early, strictly controlled or prohibited.
5. To demonstrate, what awareness and information measures (e.g. in cooperation with recognized animal welfare organizations) can be used to educate the public about the criminal risk of animal-abusive keeping, particularly in the area of reptile and exotic animal keeping.

Justification

The Swiss Animal Welfare Act obliges respect for the dignity of animals and prohibits causing them avoidable pain, suffering, harm or anxiety. Art. 26 TSchG criminalizes animal cruelty – namely abuse, neglect, unnecessary overexertion and disregard for dignity.

Despite this clear legal situation, event formats are also being established in our canton that present animal use as entertainment, consumer objects, or recreational fun, thereby normalizing problematic keeping and usage practices. Examples from Switzerland show that under the umbrella of 'environmental' or 'experience arenas,' hunting, sport fishing, and particularly reptile keeping are staged as legitimate leisure worlds, although in the area of reptile keeping, tens of thousands of potentially animal-abusive and criminal keeping conditions must be assumed.

When organizers and municipalities declare themselves as 'not a moral authority' and retreat to a role as mere discourse platforms, this collides with the legal obligation to respect the dignity of animals and prevent animal cruelty. Municipalities have real levers such as permits, conditions, advertising regulations, and cooperation with cantonal specialist offices to prevent or at least significantly limit animal-abusive formats.

The present motion therefore demands clarification of responsibilities, more consistent use of these instruments, as well as strengthening of controls and awareness-raising, so that events on cantonal territory contribute neither directly nor indirectly to the legitimization of animal cruelty.