Petition: End Animal Cruelty in Spreitenbach

The Umwelt Arena sees itself as a place that promotes sustainable lifestyles, ecological responsibility, and solutions for the future.

A fair that advertises hunting and trophy culture as attractive leisure activities conflicts with these guiding values. In our view, it is incompatible to present practices that can be associated with considerable animal suffering in an institution that stands for environmental education.

Events such as the Terra Expo (1 February, 3 May, 9 August, 8 November 2026) are also associated with real animal suffering: exotic animals are locked in tiny plastic boxes, without any possibility of retreat, exposed to stress, fear, and pain. Many die prematurely due to improper keeping conditions. Animals are not commodities! At such trade fairs and expos, it is not animal welfare that takes center stage, but profit accompanied by animal cruelty. We demand a ban on such animal welfare-violating trade fairs. Animal shelters and rescue centers are overwhelmed with exotic animals — partly due to such fairs — because many owners are unable to cope.

We are convinced that the Umwelt Arena, as well as the municipality of Spreitenbach, has an important role to play as a model in matters of animal and nature conservation. Rejecting such events would send a clear signal in favor of a responsible, contemporary, and ethically grounded stance.

We call upon the Umwelt Arena and the municipality of Spreitenbach:

• No platform for a culture of violence and animal cruelty!
• No more spaces for hunting and animal trade fair events!

Join in and send a clear signal.

Call on the government to respect children’s rights.

You can also independently email the petition text to a politician or a party of your choice.

Dear Decision-Makers

To the Municipality of Spreitenbach and the Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach

Dear Sir or Madam,

we, the undersigned, hereby call upon you to refuse permission for the planned hunting fair scheduled for 7–8 March 2026 at the Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach and to prohibit future events that present hunting, trophy culture and animal suffering as leisure entertainment.

The criticism is directed not only at the hunting fair itself, but also at the Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach, which has repeatedly provided a platform for events that are contrary to animal welfare. This includes terrarium fairs at which exotic animals are displayed in cramped plastic boxes and sold to unprepared buyers.

At such fairs and exhibitions, it is not the welfare of the animals that takes center stage, but profit derived from animal cruelty.

Justification:

The event markets recreational and hobby-based hunting as “culture” or “tradition”, even though it is incompatible with animal welfare and ethical responsibility.

There are virtually no scientifically justified reasons to hunt, for example, carrion crows, badgers, foxes, domestic cats or brown hares. They are killed not out of necessity, but for pleasure.

The fair symbolises a culture of violence and killing that distorts the relationship between humans, animals and nature: instead of protection and respect, hunting is portrayed as entertainment.

The Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach has demonstrated its willingness as a venue to host such hunting- and animal-trade-related events.

Wildlife and nature conservation requires approaches such as education, voluntary work, monitoring and observation – not mass events that promote hunting culture and trophy worship.

The freedom of nature requires protected spaces, not the staging of hobby hunting. The Municipality of Spreitenbach has the opportunity to set an example here.

Our demands:

No hosting of the hunting fair at the Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach.

No future rental of premises for hunting or animal trade events that trivialise or glorify animal suffering.

A clear municipal signal that nature and animal protection in Spreitenbach are incompatible with weapons or trophy culture.

By adding your signature to this petition, you send a clear message in favor of ethics, respect and the protection of wildlife, and against their portrayal as objects of sport or consumption.

We thank you for your attention and hope for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Your signature

Also pick up the phone and tell those responsible personally what I think of it: “I consider it unacceptable that a hunting fair is being held at the Umwelt Arena that sells the killing of animals as a leisure activity. Please do not host this event any longer. Please stop renting out rooms for hunting events and animal fairs such as the Terra Expo. Exotic animals do not belong in plastic boxes on sales tables, but in their natural habitat.”

Call the municipal administration of Spreitenbach and the Umwelt Arena and demand a clear decision against such events. Friendly in tone, unambiguous in substance.

Further information:

• Umwelt Arena Spreitenbach