In October 2018, the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) lodged a program complaint with the SRG ombudsman's office for the German-speaking part of Switzerland. TIR criticized the cooking show "David Rocco - Süsse Indien-Küche" (David Rocco - Sweet India Kitchen), which was aired on SRF Zwei and showed live crabs having their claws broken off and their shells removed while fully conscious. The deputy ombudsman supported TIR's complaint in his final report of December 5, 2018.

This year the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) was represented at various international conferences, namely the third Global Animal Law Conference in Hong Kong, the EGALS Conference in Turku, Finland, the CITES Standing Committee meeting in Sochi, Russia, the Animal Law Conference in Chicago, USA, and the Animal Welfare Law conference in Vienna, Austria.

Despite widespread support for the initiative, it was unable to reach a majority: 54.7 percent of the Swiss electorate rejected the initiative "For the dignity of farm animals". The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is disappointed at the outcome of the vote but sees a positive development in the public debate on the meaning and purpose of cow and goat horns, which has spread far beyond Switzerland's borders, and will continue to support the cause.

At a media conference today, the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR)
presented its comprehensive analysis of the Swiss animal welfare penal practice in 2017. With 1691 cases in the year under review, the number of animal welfare-related criminal proceedings fell significantly for the first time since 2004, which is largely - but not exclusively - due to the abolition of compulsory training courses for dog owners. In this year's analysis, a particular focus was placed on animal welfare provisions governing pig husbandry and the corresponding penal practice. It was found that the well-being and dignity of pigs are hardly given any legal consideration.

On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, the cantonal parliament of Basel-Stadt voted on the construction of the Ozeanium – a large public aquarium as part of the Basel Zoo intended to contain a range of aquatic animal species, its construction planned for 2024 – and granted its approval for the project. From an animal welfare as well as a species and nature conservation point of view, the decision is unacceptable. That is why a referendum will now be held with the support of the Fondation Franz Weber and four other organizations, including the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR). The citizens of Basel will have the final say.

The animal rights group "Pour l'Egalité d'Animale (PEA)" published video footage from slaughterhouses in Avenches and Moudon in the canton of Vaud on its website  www.abattoirs-suisses.ch. The footage shows serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) has filed a criminal complaint against both companies with the competent public prosecutor's office.

The CITES Standing Committee held its meeting in Sochi, Russia, from October 1 to October 5, 2018. More than 600 representatives of governments and organizations (IGOs and NGOs) discussed the regulation of international trade in endangered animal and plant species. Many animal species are either endangered or at risk of extinction as a result of the growing international trade in live animals and animal products.

At the international EGALS conference on September 19, 2018, animal welfare lawyers from all over Europe and participants from the USA met in Turku (Finland). The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) was represented with a delegation at the event and spoke on the topic "What is Animal Law?".

On World Rhino Day, the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) draws attention to the still alarming situation of rhinos worldwide. The populations of all five rhino species are in a critical state. However, there is hope that they will recover in their natural habitat through targeted conservation strategies and the tireless efforts of rangers.

The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) has been intensively researching poaching and trade in live animals, hunting trophies, and illegally obtained animal products, with trophy hunting and canned hunting being major topics. Volunteers interested in working in Africa are advised to take special care when selecting projects and to avoid, by all means, farms that offer hunts.

For more than 20 years, the umbrella association of the Bern animal welfare organizations (DBT) has been exercising party rights in animal welfare-related criminal proceedings in Bern, thereby representing the animals' interests. However, in its ruling of June 14, the Federal Supreme Court denied the DBT its status as a public authority and consequently its party rights in animal welfare-related criminal proceedings. The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is disappointed by this decision and deeply regrets to see the Canton of Bern lose an important enforcement tool for animal welfare law.

Each year, from mid-April to the end of July, numerous fawns are killed during mowing works. Various television networks reported one specific case, which prompted the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) to file a criminal complaint.

The popular initiative "End factory farming in Switzerland (Massentierhaltungsinitiative)", launched by an association called Sentience Politics and supported by numerous organizations, was launched in Bern on June 12, 2018. The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) supports the initiative's request to abolish factory farming in Switzerland.

In its deliberations of June 13 concerning the federal hunting act, the Council of States agreed with central points made by the Federal Council in its draft, which was in many respects contrary to animal welfare. In terms of the relaxation of restrictions on wolf hunting, the Council of States went even further. The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is following these developments with great concern. It had already made its views clear to the members of the Council of States in a statement prior to its decision.

On today's worldwide "Stop Live Transport" day, animal welfare organizations from all over the world are raising awareness for the enormous suffering of farm animals on long-distance transports.

More than 115'000 people signed a petition to the Swiss Parliament demanding the introduction of mandatory neutering of outdoor cats in order to curb the excessive reproduction of cats and thus reduce the suffering of cats in Switzerland. The petition sheets will be handed over to parliament at noon today in Berne.

On Thursday, May 3, the District Court of Zofingen sentenced a 38-year-old man to conditional imprisonment of 20 months and a fine of 1000 Swiss francs for drowning his wife's two Miniature Pinschers in the Aare river. His wife also received a conditional sentence of 16 months and a conditional monetary penalty for incitement to animal cruelty. The couple's actions were met with horror throughout Switzerland.

Around 65 million chickens are raised and slaughtered in Switzerland every year. In addition, the number of eggs consumed by the Swiss reached a new record of 1.51 billion in 2017. Despite these horrendous numbers, the conditions under which the animals are kept and killed are rarely a matter of public concern. Especially in poultry breeding and husbandry as well as in the context of egg production, the worst excesses of livestock farming can be seen. Unfortunately, the authorities responsible for the enforcement of animal welfare legislation also frequently fail to pay the necessary attention to the plight of chickens.

More than 70,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the Swiss Federal Council ban wild animals in Swiss circuses. The petition forms were handed over to the Federal Council in Berne today.

The animal rights organization Tier im Fokus published video material from five Swiss chicken farms this week. The footage shows injured, dying and dead animals that are not adequately looked after, in violation of the legal requirements. The Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) will file criminal charges against the companies concerned on the basis of the detected infringements.

The ASC label stands for responsible fish farming and is meant to ensure a clean conscience when buying fish products. However, animal welfare has so far hardly been taken into account in the ASC standard. The Foundation for Animals in Law (TIR) therefore supported the petition launched byfair-fish for the inclusion of animal welfare criteria. It was handed over to the ASC which has reacted with a positive response.

On December 8, 2017, the Swiss Association for Animal Welfare Work (Verband Arbeitswelt Tierschutz Schweiz, VATS) was founded. VATS is the first association for professionals working in animal welfare. The association was founded by three organizations: Kompanima (www.kompanima.ch), Susy Utzinger Stiftung für Tierschutz (SUST; www.susyutzinger.ch) and the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR).