Veterinary consultations

The next consultation hours

SUST veterinarians are regularly on duty at these locations. Spaces are limited, so registration via email is required for each consultation.

  • Biel

    Next consultation

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  • Chur

    Next consultation

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  • Schaffhausen

    Next consultation

    Booked up
  • Winterthur

    Next consultation

    Registration open Login

Clicking "Register" opens an email with all the necessary information. Who can participate and the cost of the treatments are listed below.

Social work for animals

Help for animals belonging to people affected by poverty

Many people affected by poverty have a pet as their only companion. However, they can barely afford its upkeep, let alone veterinary care.

Hardly anyone in Switzerland talks about this. Diseases go untreated, parasites are left unchecked, and because there's no money for neutering, unwanted offspring are born. Many of these problems could be solved early on, but often those affected can't find a veterinary practice: because they lack the money or because they're unwelcome due to their addictions. Then the animals suffer silently for months or years.

This is where SUST comes in. In 2025, SUST veterinarians conducted 22 consultations at six locations, treating 478 animals.

In the film (52 ​​seconds), project manager Corinne Frana explains how the social work for animals supports people in distress and their animals.
Participation

Who can participate and how to register

The consultation hours are for pet owners who cannot afford a veterinary practice. Registration via email is required for each consultation.

Who the consultation hours are for

The offer is aimed at pet owners and their animals affected by poverty, for example:

  • Social welfare recipients and people with addiction or mental health problems
  • Adults who mostly live in public spaces and are hardly reached by other social services, such as homeless people
  • Individuals and families with low incomes, as well as people affected by poverty in old age
  • Pet owners who receive disability insurance, supplementary benefits or other support

Income limit: a maximum of CHF 2500 per month for individuals and CHF 4000 for families.

How to register

Write to sozialarbeittiere@susyutzinger.ch and state the location and date of the consultation. The following information is required:

To them

  • Name
  • full residential address
  • Phone number and email address
  • Social assistance confirmation, latest tax statement, pension certificate or IV and EL ruling

To your pet

  • Name, animal species, breed (for dogs), sex and age
  • whether it is neutered
  • why you want to present it
  • Number and type of animals in the household
  • Purchase agreement, vaccination certificate and other documents

Please scan or photograph your documents legibly and attach them to the email.

The support applies only to the animals listed on the application. Their number cannot be increased spontaneously.

Costs

How much the treatments cost

Owning a pet also comes with financial responsibility. Therefore, the SUST charges fees for treatments during consultation hours. These fees are heavily discounted.

Contributions during the consultation hour

Vaccination against cat or dog diseasesBasic immunization twice CHF 35
CHF 35
Rabies vaccinationBasic immunization twice CHF 60
CHF 60
Spaying of female cat
CHF 65
castration hangover
CHF 45
Castration of female or male dog
depending on size and breed
Chip and registration cat
CHF 25
Dispensed medications and antiparasitics
Initial price
Further treatments
depending on the costs

What the SUST does not cover

  • Veterinary treatments, surgeries and bills outside of SOFT consultation hours
  • Emergency visits to the clinics and practices of partner veterinarians
  • Physiotherapy, cancer therapies and surgeries, artificial joints, surgical procedures after accidents, rehabilitation treatments
  • Long-term therapies
  • Interventions that alleviate breed-related cruelty traits
  • Euthanasia and cremation of a pet
  • Microchip registrations outside of SOFT consultation hours
  • Boarding costs and pet insurance
  • Dog tax, dog groomer and dog school
  • Structural and protective measures, such as a cat flap or a cat safety net
Feeding points

Free pet food in your area

These partner organizations provide free pet food, supplied by SUST, to pet owners affected by poverty. Please inquire directly at the distribution point before your first visit to find out what is required.

Swiss map showing the partners of SUST's social work for animals and their services.
Partners in animal social work, as of December 2025. Click to enlarge the map.
In Turbenthal

Fill your little bowl

Every first Friday of the month, SUST gives away free dog and cat food at its animal welfare warehouse in Turbenthal, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Aargau 3 drop-off points

Kirchleerau

Food kitchen for dogs & cats

Zinggenstrasse 151, 5054 Kirchleerau

079 430 26 12 · beatrice.lehner1@gmail.com

Opening hours: by appointment.

Uerkheim

Animal Food Bank Aargau

Bergstrasse 1, 4813 Uerkheim

079 352 46 70 · 079 346 32 02 · Facebook group

widen

Palm 26

Bremgarterstrasse 28, 8967 Widen

077 476 97 14 · info@palme26.ch · www.palme26.ch

Opening hours: every first Wednesday of the month, 17 pm to 19 pm, by appointment.

Basel-Stadt 1 delivery point

Basel

Verein Treffpunkt Glaibasel

Feldbergstrasse 148, 4057 Basel

061 693 23 01 · info@treffpunktglaibasel.ch · treffpunktglaibasel.ch

Opening hours: by appointment.

Bern 4 drop-off points

Bern

Church street work Bern

Sennweg 6, 3012 Bern

031 312 38 68 · mail@gassenarbeit-bern.ch · gassenarbeit-bern.ch

Opening hours: Thursday, 14 pm to 16 pm. Only food distribution, no donations accepted.

Biel / Bienne

Church street work Biel

Lindenegg 8, 2502 Biel/Bienne

079 313 42 74 · team@gassenarbeit-biel.ch · gassenarbeit-biel.ch

Opening hours: please inquire by phone.

Thun

Tierherz Thun Association

Wylergasse 29, 3608 Thun

079 274 21 31 · wen@bluewin.ch

Opening hours: by telephone appointment only.

Trubschachen

Animal Food Bank Emmental

Bahnhofstrasse 14, 3555 Trubschachen

079 358 80 67 · dorishabegger67@bluewin.ch

Opening hours: please inquire by phone.

Graubünden 2 drop-off points

Chur

Caritas Graubünden

Tittwiesenstrasse 29, 7000 Chur

081 258 32 58 · info@caritasgr.ch · caritas-regio.ch/ueber-caritas/graubunden

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 am to 12 pm, Thursday 14 pm to 18 pm.

Chur

Animal Food Bank Chur

Gürtelstrasse 24, 7000 Chur

081 868 84 44 · info@tiertafel-chur.ch · www.tiertafel-chur.ch

Opening hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30 pm to 4 pm, Tuesday and Friday 9 am to 12 pm.

Lucerne 2 drop-off points

Lucerne

Gassechuchi Luzern (supporting structure)

Geissensteinring 24, 6002 Lucerne

041 252 26 40 · gassechuchi@tragwerk-luzern.ch · www.tragwerk-luzern.ch/angebote/gassechuchi_ka

Opening hours: by appointment.

Lucerne

Animal Food Bank Lucerne

Hofstrasse 16, 6006 Lucerne

077 441 50 67 · info@tiertafel-luzern.ch · tiertafel-luzern.ch

Opening hours: Thursday afternoon.

Neuenburg 1 delivery point

Couvet

Gamelles du cœur

Ruelle du Théâtre 2, 2108 Couvet

076 391 51 18 gamellesducoeur079@gmail.com Facebook

Opening hours: by appointment.

Schaffhausen 1 delivery point

Schaffhausen

TASCH Schaffhausen

Fulachstrasse 84, 8200 Schaffhausen

052 624 50 80 · info.tasch@vjps.ch · www.vjps.ch

Opening hours: please inquire by phone.

Solothurn 1 delivery point

Olten

Suchthilfe Ost

Aarburgerstrasse 63, 4600 Olten

062 206 15 35 · info@suchthilfe-ost.ch · suchthilfe-ost.ch

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

St. Gallen 2 drop-off points

Flawil

The Food Bar, EinFach Association

Wilerstrasse 142, 9230 Flawil

076 608 85 11 · 078 914 48 81 · herzenssache@vereinfach.com · www.vereinfach.com

Opening hours: every Saturday, 10 am to 14 pm.

Heerbrugg

Animal Food Bank Rhine Valley / A-Meeting

Berneckstrasse 219, 9435 Heerbrugg

071 722 34 55 · a-treff@refmittelrheintal.ch · refrheintal.ch/a-treff

Opening hours: every first Monday of the month, 1:30 pm to 4 pm.

Zurich 2 drop-off points

Turbenthal

Fill your little bowl (SUST)

Tösstalstrasse 13a, 8488 Turbenthal

052 202 69 69 · sozialarbeittiere@susyutzinger.ch · Learn more

Opening hours: every first Friday of the month, 9 to 11 am, or by appointment.

Zurich

Pastor Sieber's Social Welfare Organization, Street Veterinarian

Suneboge Residential and Working Community, Gerechtigkeitsgasse 5, 8001 Zurich

043 336 50 80 · info@swsieber.ch · www.swsieber.ch

Reports

From the consultation hours

After the consultations, the SUST reports how many animals were treated and what stories lie behind them.

SOFT consultation in Kollbrunn – and an important appeal

SUST Social Work for Animals: Veterinary consultation in Biel

Fill your little bowl – help that comes from the heart!

SOFT consultation in Biel: Help that gets through

Help for animals – when money is tight

If the bowl stays full – even in difficult times

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