Valais: Cow Fighting Does Not Violate Animal Dignity

Criminal complaint rejected

In the eyes of the Valais judiciary, the traditional Valais ring cow fights do not violate animal dignity. According to the animal protection association «Ecologie et Altruisme», the public prosecutor's office declined to pursue the criminal complaint they had filed in October following a ring cow fight in Martigny VS.

The animal protection association expressed outrage and shock that the Valais public prosecutor's office does not intend to pursue the criminal complaint. The animal welfare advocates maintain that fights involving pregnant Hérens cows for the entertainment of people constitute a violation of animal dignity. In their view, this represents a breach of the Federal Act on Animal Protection.

Public prosecutor sees ‘natural behaviour’

The Valais public prosecutor's office apparently sees it differently. According to the prosecutor, «dominance and fighting are central to the social behaviour of the animals, which seek to define their hierarchical position within the herd. This is a natural behaviour of the Hérens breed as well as a strong tradition of Switzerland».

The chairman of the animal protection organisation does not find this argument convincing: just because cows sometimes fight for reasons of hierarchy does not mean they can be transported in a truck and crammed together to entertain a crowd.

«If we had preserved all traditions, we would still be seeing public executions today,» the complainant responds. The animal protection organisation also criticises the fact that a right of appeal in the field of animal protection has so far been absent in Switzerland. It has therefore launched a petition calling on the federal parliament to close «this serious gap».