ZüriNews: Animal rights activist Susy Utzinger celebrates anniversary

Heartiest congratulations on 25 years of dedicated work in animal welfare! A quarter of a century filled with tireless efforts, unwavering commitment, and deep compassion for the voiceless – you have transformed kindness into action and saved an impressive number of lives. These 25 years have meant so much more than just rescuing animals – they have also been an enormous support to other animal welfare organizations and a shining example of dedication, responsibility, and courage. Your achievements are truly exceptional, and the impact of your work is evident not only in the lives of the rescued animals but also in the hearts of all those who believe in a better world for all living beings. Thank you for everything you have accomplished – and we wish you strength, health, and continued support for at least another 25 equally inspiring years!

Dear Susy, staff, and volunteers of the SUST Animal Protection Foundation, I sincerely congratulate you on the wonderful occasion — the 25th anniversary of your foundation! For a quarter of a century, you have given your hearts and strength to those who cannot say thank you with words, but express their gratitude through their loyal eyes and devoted love. Your work is not just about caring for our four-legged friends; it is a daily contribution to creating a kinder and more humane society. Thank you for your resilience, kindness, and dedication! May every life you save and every tail you rescue return to you as warmth, joy, and happy moments. I would especially like to highlight your active role in developing the volunteer movement in our city. You inspire, support, and unite people who are ready to help animals. Thanks to your assistance and support, we are able to regularly provide sterilization and medical care to stray animals and pets from low-income families in our city and district. Thank you very much for this. I wish your foundation prosperity, loyal friends, reliable partners, and many more years of successful work for the benefit of animals. May the road ahead be filled with new good deeds, trustworthy partners, and grateful furry friends. May your efforts always bring joy and well-deserved recognition! With respect, Lili Korol. Dear Susy, dear staff and volunteers of SUST, I congratulate you most sincerely on this wonderful occasion – the 25th anniversary of your foundation! For a quarter of a century, you have given your hearts and your strength to those who cannot thank you with words, but express their gratitude through loyal eyes and devoted love. With your work, you not only care for our four-legged friends, but also contribute daily to creating a kinder and more humane society. Thank you for your perseverance, kindness, and dedication! May every life you save and every tail rescued return to you as warmth, joy, and happy moments. I would especially like to highlight your active role in developing the volunteer movement in our city. You inspire, support, and unite people who are ready to help animals. Thanks to your help and support, we are able to regularly spay and neuter and provide medical care for stray animals and pets from low-income families in our city and district. For this, I would like to thank you most sincerely. I wish your foundation continued prosperity, loyal friends, reliable partners, and many more years of successful work for the benefit of animals. May the path ahead be filled with new good deeds, dependable partners, and grateful furry friends. May your efforts always bring joy and well-deserved recognition! With kind regards, Lili Korol

For a quarter of a century, Susy Utzinger and her team have been giving a voice to those who have none: the animals. This deserves a huge thank you and much respect. And anyone who, like me, has seen the passion and effort she puts into this work, can only do one thing: support her. I am happy to do so and warmly congratulate SUST on its big anniversary!

I'm Toni Vescoli and I offer my warmest congratulations on this wonderful anniversary. Animal welfare is something very important, and it's something that has always interested me. I even wrote a song in 1975 called "Animal Welfare," and if you have nothing against it, I'll quickly read it to you: Recently I walked past someone who had a small, yellow button on his lapel, and on it – a panda bear.

Dear Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare, congratulations on your 25th anniversary! A quarter of a century filled with dedication, passion, and tireless commitment to animal welfare – that is an impressive achievement that deserves great respect. Your work has helped countless animals in Switzerland and around the world, demonstrating the importance of advocating for those without a voice. With passion and intelligence, you have shaped animal welfare and improved so many lives. I wish you continued success, strength, and support for your valuable mission – because animals need you! Here's to many more years of positive change!

We warmly congratulate the Susy Utzinger Foundation on its 25th anniversary. Successful animal welfare work is only possible if those responsible possess the necessary expertise. Therefore, a big "thank you" to the foundation for its tireless commitment to education and training, which forms the basis for the professionalization of animal welfare work.

Heartiest congratulations to SUST on your anniversary! A quarter of a century of dedication, countless lives saved, and immeasurable love. That is what you give to animals day after day. Thank you for your tireless work over the years. As founders of Safi Cicamenedél Alapìtvàny, we are grateful for your collaboration for the well-being of cats. Together we pursue the goal of creating a better, safer world for all animals. We wish you continued success and many more happy, saved lives.

The team at Retriever Rescue Hungary sends us a heartfelt birthday message: “Happy 25th Birthday! Thank you for your help.”

Dear SUST team, your dedication has improved the lives of so many animals for so many years. You're celebrating your 25th anniversary! Heartiest congratulations from me – this definitely calls for a celebration! So, let's raise our paws – or rather, our glasses! And: Here's to the next 25 years, I'd say. All the best for the future.

🦜 A very special well-wisher from APS Matzingen! Our SUST partner organization, the rescue center for parrots and parakeets, sent us an adorable video message – from none other than Hugo the yellow-crested cockatoo! 🎉 With a lovingly prepared sign, he loudly wishes us "Happy Anniversary!" – and of course, celebrates with a little happy dance. 💃🐦 ❤️ Thank you to the team at APS Matzingen and, of course, to Hugo for this unique anniversary greeting! We are absolutely delighted by this creative surprise. You can find the video at https://youtube.com/shorts/XQFaOB7tjOQ

Hello. I'm Delia Pirvu from Red Panda Romania. On behalf of the entire team, we would like to congratulate you on your 25th anniversary. Thank you so much for the wonderful work you do – AND – thank you for being a reliable partner for the activities of other, especially small, NGOs. We truly appreciate you and your support, and we thank you for your help. Here's to many more anniversaries! We wish you continued success and thank you for everything you accomplish for animals around the world. Thank you.

I congratulate the Susy Utzinger Foundation on its 25th anniversary. A very, very, very big thank you: your work is very, very valuable.

Dear Susy, We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our foundation from day one! The knowledge and guidance we received from you enabled us to pave the way for the establishment of further cat-helping foundations and to lead by example in how preventive animal protection should be practiced in Hungary. We congratulate you on your anniversary and wish you and SUST many more successful years protecting innocent little souls around the world! Stefano and Daniela Trebbi, founders of MAVED (Hungarian Foundation for Cat Protection)

We are primarily dedicated to helping cats. We trap them, neuter them, and release them back into the wild, or find them new homes. Last year alone, thanks to your support, we were able to neuter over 120 cats and rehome over 35. For many, this may seem like a drop in the ocean… but every drop counts! We are incredibly grateful for your support and wish you a wonderful 25th birthday. Thank you for your continued moral and financial support. Here's to at least another 25 years! Thank you so much, all the best! Take care!

Dear Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare, we congratulate you most sincerely on your 25th anniversary! The wonderful work you do for animals helps not only the animals themselves, but all of us. Your dedication, love, and care for animals are exemplary and inspiring. We follow your journey with pleasure and hope that we can continue to work together in the coming years towards our shared goals: saving even more lives and bringing about significant change. With warmest regards and respect, The Susy Utzinger Foundation Team

Thanks to your tireless work, you have not only saved countless lives, but also inspired a new generation to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves. May your mission continue to grow and bring hope and healing to those who need it most. Congratulations and deep gratitude for everything you do! Happy Birthday.

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! Your dedication has not only improved the lives of many animals, but also raised awareness of animal welfare in Switzerland and far beyond. May SUST continue to fight for the rights and well-being of animals and enjoy many more successful years to come.

Dr. Wahid, Chief Veterinarian, SUST-OAH Hurghada (EG): Happy Birthday, dear SUST! I am so proud to be part of this great organization. Together we can do so much for the homeless animals! Thank you for all your support, your care, and everything you have done over the years. I hope this continues for the next 100 years. Dr. Yasser: Thanks to SUST, we can help many stray animals here in Hurghada. Thank you, SUST – and Happy Birthday!

Hi Susy, thank you so much for everything you do for us. Thank you for all the work you've done for so many years. I wish you continued success, happiness, and all the best. We love you very much, thank you for everything.

We would like to thank Susy for her support, which has helped us to neuter many kittens. It is a wonderful opportunity, and we would like to thank her on behalf of the unborn kittens, as many would suffer if they were born. We congratulate her on 25 years and would like to thank Susy for giving us this opportunity.

The animal shelter in Cegled extends its heartfelt thanks for your help month after month, year after year. Without you, we wouldn't be able to help so many people and dogs. For us, spaying and neutering are the most important measures. We congratulate you on your 25th anniversary and wish you continued strength and good health for your future work.

Dear Susy, I have admired you for many years and have followed your work. Your love for animals is truly exceptional, and your dedication is what one would call "real animal welfare." Many people keep their animals out of selfishness, and seeing that often pains me. I also know how much work is involved when you rely on donations to finance projects—especially with the consistency you demonstrate. Hats off to you! I wish you all the very best for your future endeavors. You deserve great recognition. I look forward to everything you will accomplish and achieve in the future! Thank you so much, and all the best!

Dear Susy, dear team at the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare, congratulations on 25 years of impressive and tireless animal welfare work! It is truly admirable how much heart and dedication you bring to your work for animals in Switzerland and far beyond. Thanks to your efforts, countless animals have been given a better life – whether through rescue, care, or sustainable improvements in animal welfare. Your commitment is inspiring and shows what is possible when people act with conviction and passion. I wish you continued success and strength for your valuable mission. Here's to many more years of animal welfare with heart and mind! Warm regards, Florian

Congratulations! What amazing work over the past 25 years! Incredible! Happy Birthday to the Susy Utzinger Foundation! To Susy, to everyone working for the foundation, and to every person who has ever supported it, thank you for all the time and effort that has been put into this wonderful project. So many animals all over the world are in need of veterinary care, advocates, and helping hands, and the Susy Utzinger Foundation has made this possible in many different places for 25 years already. What a great gift that so many lives could be saved—lives of animals that otherwise wouldn't have had a chance. —— Congratulations to the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare! To Susy, to everyone who works for the foundation, and to every single person who has ever supported it—thank you for all the time and effort that has been invested in this wonderful project. So many animals around the world depend on veterinary care, advocates, and helping hands. The Susy Utzinger Foundation has made this possible in many places for 25 years already. What a precious gift – so many lives were saved, of animals that would otherwise have had no chance.

I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on its 25th anniversary. You do an incredible job. You give our wonderful animals a voice, you offer help to helpless animals – all over the world. It's indescribable what SUST accomplishes. I wish you all the best for the next 25 years – AND – I am proud to be a SUST ambassador!

25 Years of Dedication to Animal Welfare – An Impressive Anniversary Full of Commitment and Heart! We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Susy Utzinger Foundation! Through their tireless dedication to animals and the invaluable collaboration with the Large Animal Rescue Service, countless farm animals in distress have already been rescued and cared for. Thanks to this partnership, gentle and stress-free transports are also possible, offering farm animals additional protection and security in difficult situations. This wonderful collaboration is a significant contribution to the well-being of many animals – and we look forward to many more joint efforts to protect these four-legged friends. A huge thank you to the entire Susy Utzinger team for your outstanding commitment! You show what is possible.

The Susy Utzinger Foundation is an incredible asset to animal welfare as a whole. The foundation supports so many projects, both in Switzerland and abroad. Animal shelters in Switzerland also receive regular support from the foundation. These shelters are exclusively privately funded and depend on every bit of support. It is therefore all the more wonderful that we receive food and supply donations several times a year, as well as a volunteer day where the foundation, along with many volunteers, supports the animal shelters with various tasks. We are grateful that the foundation exists and that this collaboration is just as important to them as it is to us.

Since I am also actively involved with SUST, I know that SUST works very conscientiously and in a very structured manner, and therefore can provide very sustainable help. I warmly congratulate SUST on its 25th anniversary and I certainly hope that you will continue for many more years to come. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your dedication.

Hello, I just wanted to say that 10 years ago I was standing on this very piece of land with the SUST team. We were looking at this plot of land. It was fallow, there was nothing here… and we were wondering if it would be possible to create a rehabilitation center for orphaned wild animals. At that moment – ​​I remember it like it was yesterday – Susy immediately said: Yes, do it! We will support you. And that's what came of it. 10 years of SUST supporting Romanian wild animals in need. Without this support, it wouldn't have been possible to help the more than 20.000 wild animals that now require professional veterinary care. Now, this year SUST is celebrating 25 years of global animal welfare work, of which we are a part, and for that we are so grateful. We wish you a wonderful anniversary year and many, many successful projects for the future. Thank you so much, Susy!

Dear Susy, dear SUST team, what an anniversary – 25 years of the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare! A quarter of a century of "animal welfare with heart and mind" – this isn't just your slogan, it's something you and your entire team live by every single day with tireless dedication. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on this long-standing and successful commitment to the well-being of animals and wish you continued energy, enthusiasm, perseverance, and dedication to our four-legged friends for the next 25 years! With love, Silvi Herzog

Dear Susy, Congratulations on 25 years of hands-on animal welfare in Switzerland and many other countries around the globe. A special thank you to Susy, who runs this foundation with amazing professionalism and a big heart. Thanks to the entire SUST team for the great collaboration. You have shown what is possible, and you can look back on 25 years of real impact. Warm regards, Team PERU ____________________________ Dear Susy, Congratulations on 25 years of hands-on animal welfare in Switzerland and in many other countries around the globe. A special thank you to Susy, who runs this foundation with amazing professionalism and a big heart. Thank you to the entire SUST team for the excellent collaboration. You have shown what is possible, and you can look back on 25 years of real impact. Warm regards, Team PERU

Dear Susy, dear team at the Susy Utzinger Foundation, heartfelt congratulations on 25 years of effective animal welfare. In addition to rescuing animals, you have also shared an enormous amount of knowledge with the public and authorities, not only nationally, but also in all the countries where you are active and run important projects. Thanks to your knowledge transfer, you are building the capacity for future generations of animal welfare advocates. This is what sustainable animal welfare looks like! Thank you for your outstanding work! Sigrid Lüber, Founder and President of OceanCare

Congratulations to the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on its 25th anniversary! Your extraordinary work for animals in Switzerland and around the world is an impressive example of how much heart and dedication can achieve. For over 125 years, we at Hiltl have shared your passion for the protection and well-being of animals, as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world according to Guinness World Records, offering healthy and delicious food for everyone. We wish you continued success! Rolf Hiltl & Team

We humans don't live alone on this planet. We all realize this fairly early in life – but sometimes we forget it along the way. Science has defined plants as "alive." Although they don't have a brain or nervous system, they can react to stimuli, and they can, for example, see, smell, remember, and communicate to some extent. However, we don't protect plants for their own sake, but because of the benefits they provide us. It's different with animals; there's something very special involved: animals not only "live," but most animals – certainly all mammals – also have feelings; we all experience this firsthand every day. And we also know (and sometimes, unfortunately, suppress) that animals suffer – and die. Even among us. Partly because of us and for us. For example, for our food, our lifestyle, our society. The Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare has been working for 25 years in an ever-expanding sphere of influence to promote respect for animals and their well-being. This is thanks to Susy Utzinger herself – and her dedicated team. That personal commitment can achieve so much good for so long is remarkable – and deserves our recognition! I congratulate you – and all your supporters and sponsors – on this fantastic achievement and wish you, on behalf of all the animals, many more responsible and successful years. Because, unfortunately – as we all know – there is still much to be done! So: Keep it up! And perhaps even a little more… 😊 Cheerful and respectful regards, Raymond “Ray” Fein

Heartfelt congratulations on 25 years of valuable service to the welfare of our animals. Keep up the good work.

Dear Susy and team, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on 25 years of the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare. I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand everything you have accomplished during this time, directly on the ground in Switzerland and around the world, through information, support, and hands-on action. 25 years of animal welfare with heart and mind. Thank you for the wonderful collaboration. Best regards, Philipp

I wholeheartedly congratulate the Susy Utzinger Foundation on 25 years of outstanding work for animal welfare! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your vital commitment and dedication to our non-human friends – here's to the next 25 joyful and animal-friendly years!

Dear Team, dear Susy Utzinger, we warmly congratulate you on your 25th anniversary and say "thank you soooooooo much" for your outstanding work in protecting our animals. I, too, have a beloved pet, my "Caroline," whom I have cared for for 50 years. And you do the same with your animals, which we find simply wonderful. We wish you continued strength so that many animals may continue to thrive, thanks to the fantastic work you consistently do. My wife Ruth and I, Urs Kliby, raise a glass with you to another 25 years and once again say a heartfelt "thank you" for 25 years of the Susy Utzinger Foundation.

For 25 years now, Susy and her team have demonstrated with tireless dedication how much can be achieved when working with heart, professionalism, and vision. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to support SUST in their work in media design from the very beginning. I have witnessed how SUST has realized and implemented an unbelievable number of animal welfare projects over the years, preventing immense animal suffering and enabling countless animals to live better lives in the long term. THANK YOU for making the world a better place for animals every single day with your commitment!

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! The Susy Utzinger Foundation does fantastic work for animals in need with heart, mind, and tireless dedication. I wish you continued success and support. Sincerely, Kariem

Dear Susy, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on its 25th anniversary! The uncompromising focus on what is best for the animals and the absolutely tireless dedication are also a great inspiration to our association, Cowpassion. All the best and continued success from Evelyn, President of Cowpassion. [Image: Evelyn with Orlando and Nena at the Goloka Animal Sanctuary]

Animal welfare must be borderless, Susy Utzinger declared years ago. Her words weren't enough; action soon followed. Thanks to her, her foundation has developed into a network spanning continents. For this, and also for her commitment to animal welfare in Switzerland, I congratulate Susy Utzinger most sincerely. Erich Gysling. PHOTO: SRF "Gredig direkt"

Dear Susy Utzinger, Heartiest congratulations on the 25th anniversary of your animal welfare organization! A huge thank you goes to SUST for their tremendous and tireless work in animal shelters and animal welfare projects both at home and abroad. Since my earliest childhood, it has been important to me that we care for all animals and take as much responsibility as possible, whether they live freely or in captivity. As a child, I grew up with pets, but unfortunately, due to work commitments, I cannot have one of my own for the time being. I wish SUST all the very best from the bottom of my heart and hope that as many affluent and animal-loving people as possible will generously and long-term support SUST. Wishing you a wonderful and successful 2025. Warmest regards, Dodo Hug Contini. P.S. Photo by Amanda Nikolic

I personally congratulate you and the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on your 25th anniversary. Your work is incredibly important, both locally and internationally, enjoys a fantastic reputation, and benefits animals everywhere. Keep up the great work! Prof. em. Dr. sc. Dr. hc Dennis C. Turner, Director of the Institute IET in Horgen/ZH

Heartiest congratulations on 25 years of the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare! I find it truly admirable how Susy and her team have dedicated themselves to animals with so much passion and tireless commitment for so many years! I wish Susy and her team continued energy for the wonderful work they do every day! Best regards, Denise

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on its 25th anniversary. The central message of my music, which I have been singing for many years, is love for all beings, the protection of our environment, and peace in this world. Alongside ancient Tibetan mantras, I also sing prayers for the well-being of animals, for without them, humanity would never have survived. We owe them so much, and therefore they deserve our protection and our appreciation. A big thank you to all the people and organizations who have a big heart for animals and work tirelessly for them. With heartfelt regards, Dechen Shak-Dagsay

Dear Susy and friends, you have all been doing a fantastic job for 25 years. I am deeply moved by how many people work for the foundation and their dedication. You have already achieved so much, and countless animals no longer have to suffer: because of you. And all of this with heart and mind. Congratulations! Thank you for your work! Congratulations on your anniversary! Blanca Imboden, writer

My mission started 20 years ago, when being a silent witness of the animal suffering in my hometown drove me to become a swarn activist for animal welfare in Romania. Since then, much has changed: in January 2025 we celebrate our second year of SUST ORPHAN ANIMAL HOSPITAL in Moreni, with thousands of cats and dogs spayed for free and a large number of free vaccinations and life-changing surgeries and treatments. Thanks to your support, my mission has blossomed into a joined effort of transforming a small town from southern Romania, into a more compassionate place for both animals and people. Congratulations to the wonderful people of Susy Utzinger Stiftung für Tierschutz for their 25 years anniversary! Thank you for making a difference for so many animals all over the world and for your outstanding contribution to a brighter future for all of us! ___ My mission began 20 years ago when, as a silent witness to the suffering of animals in my hometown, I was led to become involved in animal protection in Romania. Much has changed since then: In January 2025, we celebrated the second anniversary of the Susy Utzinger Animal Hospital (OAH) in Moreni, with thousands of cats and dogs spayed or neutered free of charge, and a large number of free vaccinations and life-changing surgeries and treatments. Thanks to your support, my mission has evolved into a collaborative effort to transform a small town in southern Romania into a more compassionate place for both animals and people. Congratulations to the wonderful people at the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare on their 25th anniversary! Thank you for making a difference for so many animals around the world and for your outstanding contribution to a better future for us all!

I am not only a passionate dog lover, but I also have a very sensitive heart for animals in general. Unfortunately, they are often the most vulnerable members of our civilized society. I admire the fact that people, and also the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare, have been working for animal welfare for years. They continue to deserve our support and everyone's gratitude!

The love we have received over the years from the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare is comparable to the love I feel for my two children: constant, unconditional, and everlasting. Caring for nearly 400 dogs and cats requires our constant concern for their well-being. The SUST has always been one step ahead of us, funding vital parts of our animal shelter—the concrete floor and the roof—and thus improving all of our lives. Congratulations on your 25th anniversary, dear SUST community! We thank you for your generosity and kindness!

The Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare is celebrating its impressive 25th anniversary this year. A quarter of a century filled with dedication, outstanding expertise, and sustainable projects in the service of animal welfare. My warmest congratulations on this unique milestone! Yours sincerely, Best regards,