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Animal and Law - Q&A's

Animal and Law - The Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation (SUST) answers questions from animal owners, animal lovers and interested parties in an easy-to-understand manner.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at: info@susyutzinger.ch

Dogs - Q&A's

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My landlord has verbally agreed to let me keep a dog. Now, after I have my dog already 6 months, I was forbidden in writing to keep a dog in this property. Is this allowed?

This is where customary law usually comes into play. If you as a tenant have owned a dog for a long time, you may keep it. This is in any case the case if the landlord or the property manager knew about your dog. In such a case, it does not matter what is written in the rental agreement or whether the landlord has expressly permitted the keeping of the dog. The animal is considered to be tacitly approved.

BUT: This permit may be revoked if the dog gives rise to complaints.

Art. 257 f OR. states that the tenant must use the thing with care and show consideration for housemates and neighbors. This means that the landlord does not have to tolerate emissions from keeping animals if they have an unacceptable effect on the apartment and the house, the fellow tenants and also on neighboring properties.
It makes sense for a tenant to get consent in writing. Once the (written) consent has been given, it is difficult for the landlord to defend himself against the unreasonable nuisance of keeping dogs. Important reasons must be presented for the withdrawal of the consent once it has been given.

Often landlords do not allow pets to be kept because rights and obligations are not precisely regulated anywhere. This can be remedied by a contract addendum of the IEMT (www.iemt.ch), which has developed rules that take into account the interests of both landlords and tenants as well as the animals' need for species-appropriate husbandry. Suggest this contract addendum to your landlord.

Cats - Q&A's

My cat was injured by a dog, who pays the costs?
Am I allowed to feed the neighbor's cat?
In unserem Quartier hat es heimatlose Katzen, was kann ich tun?
The neighbor's cat is locked out during the whole day and cannot enter the house while its owners are at work. There is no cat door and no shelter for the animal. is this animal-friendly?

Other Animals - Q&A's

A donkey living with horses – is that enough?
Am I allowed to keep a single rabbit?
Reptiles: Do they need holding permits & expert opinions?
Are rabbits and hares the same?
Birds: Do they need owner inspections & holding permits?
I found an injured fox, can I take it to a clinic?
Am I allowed to throw fish into the toilet?
My cleaner released my budgies by mistake, what can I do?

Q&A's in general

My vet made an incorrect diagnosis, the animal is now dead - can I prosecute him?
What happens if an illness is discovered shortly after the animal is taken over, which the seller/animal shelter did not inform me about?
What must a transfer agreement contain?
What action can be taken in the event of a poor husbandry situation?
How many pets may I keep privately?
For which species do I need a permit?
At what point do I need an animal caretaker certificate?
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