Animal Rescue Service Switzerland Reports Record Numbers
The Animal Rescue Service recorded over 5'500 missions in 2021. Bad weather and more injured wild animals drove the numbers up.
As reported by the TierRettungsDienst foundation in 8185 Winkel, there were 5’586 rescue missions for animals in distress in 2021, representing an increase of 18%.
For the first time in the history of the independent foundation TierRettungsDienst, which is funded exclusively through donations and bequests, the threshold of 5’000 rescue missions was exceeded.
Poor weather conditions contributed significantly to the increased number of missions involving wild animals such as birds of prey, wild birds, and fledglings. Further reasons for the sharp increase include more found, injured, or seized domestic animals.
Birds in particular drove the increase
More than half of all rescue missions were carried out by animal rescue drivers for wild animals. Compared to the previous year, birds of prey in particular accounted for the rise in rescue trips, with 65% more missions, followed by wild birds with 40% more and young ducks with 33% more.
During the snow-heavy month of January, the animal rescue service was called out via its 24-hour emergency number almost seven times as often for weakened birds of prey as in 2020. In July, the animal rescue service handled 820 animal rescue missions, corresponding to an average of more than 26 missions per day.
After wild animals, cats were the second most frequent recipients of assistance from the animal rescue service, with 1’425 missions. The 20% increase compared to the previous year can be attributed to a greater number of injured, ownerless, and seized cats.
25% more rescue missions for dogs
The 658 rescue missions for dogs represent an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. The animal rescue service was increasingly called upon by police or relevant authorities in connection with hospitalisations, detentions, and seizures of dogs.
Due to late births among hedgehogs, there were many call-outs for juvenile and weakened hedgehogs towards the end of the year. In December, the animal rescue drivers responded to four times as many hedgehog call-outs as in the previous year. Further information on animal welfare can be found at wildbeimwild.com.
