Activities with animals requiring a permit

If you want to organize a livestock market, an exhibition or a sporting event with animals, please contact the government office. Depending on the duration or importance, such events are subject to approval and are usually placed under the control of an exhibition veterinarian to be appointed.

If there are questions regarding animal welfare or animal health, the Food and Veterinary Office is the point of contact.

Livestock trade is considered to be the commercial buying, selling, exchanging and brokering of animals of the equine, bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species. Livestock traders have special responsibilities and obligations to prevent the possible spread of disease.

It is also possible to obtain only an equine trade patent.

What requirements must be met?

In order to obtain a livestock trade patent, in addition to successfully completing the course, you must also have a stable that complies with the principles of epidemic hygiene in terms of location and structural facilities, as well as organization and management (exception: livestock delivered exclusively directly to the slaughterhouse).

What training is necessary?

Attend an introductory course for livestock traders at an organization recognized by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). After successful completion of the course, the Food and Veterinary Office receives a notification. 

Patent issuance

The patent is issued for a period of 3 years. Thereafter, the patentee must apply for  renewal for another 3 years if there is interest.

Requirements for renewal

• Patent holder must have successfully completed a recognized continuing education course within the 3-year validity period of the patent
• There are no serious violations of regulations of animal diseases, animal welfare, foodstuffs, medicinal products or agricultural legislation.

Whoever breeds animals commercially, cares for them, trades with animals or offers special care activities, needs a permit. For some activities, special training is required.

What does "commercially" mean?

Once you receive money or other consideration for an activity, it is considered commercial. Even if one does not make a profit, but only covers the expenses.

 What is subject to authorization?

• Running an animal shelter with more than 5 foster places
• Providing an animal care service for more than 5 animals
• commercial keeping and breeding of pets and farm dogs
• Breeding/dispensing (trade) from a certain number of animals per year   according to Art. 101 Tierschutzverordnung
• commercial claw care for cattle and hoof care for horses, without having a training according to Art. 192 para 1 let. a Tierschutzverordnung to have.

Necessary training

The technical information of the FSVO provides information about the necessary training and the recognized organizations

Note: In animal shelters with a maximum of 5 foster places or other commercial care of no more than 5 animals, it is sufficient if the person responsible for animal care has the training required for the keeping of the animal species in care.

Permission

The application for permit must be submitted with the required evidence to the Food and Veterinary Office.  

A permit will only be issued if rooms, enclosures and facilities correspond to the type and number of animals as well as the purpose of the operation, animals cannot escape and the personnel requirements according to the Tierschutzverordnung are fulfilled.

Animal experiments may only be carried out if no alternatives are available. Strict rules apply to the keeping of laboratory animals, as well as to the education and training of researchers who work with animals.

The area of animal experimentation is particularly strictly regulated in the Tierschutzverordnung: Each individual animal experiment applied for is reviewed by a cantonal animal experiment commission. Researchers must show that the benefit to society is greater than the suffering of the animals. Overview of Animal Experiments Switzerland

Whoever wishes to carry out the following activities in connection with animal experiments requires a permit from the Office of Food Control and Veterinary Affairs. FSVO application and permit

• Keeping, breeding or trading laboratory animals:  Please complete and submit the permit application.
• Performing animal experiments - please contact the indicated contact persons

The use of live animals for advertising is subject to authorization. The purpose of the permit is to ensure that animals are protected from excessive demands and unreasonable stress.

The following requirements must be met in order for a permit to be issued:

• The accommodation during the promotional event and between the use of the animals is animal welfare compliant.
• The person responsible for animal care shall meet the training requirements.
• The transport must be  animal welfare compliant.