5 March 2010

Pets in Switzerland that are mistreated could find themselves represented in court by special attorneys if the Swiss electorate vote for the motion in a referendum.

The vote is due to be carried out on Sunday 7 March and if a majority agrees to it, state-appointed legal representatives could soon be championing pets' rights in Switzerland.

Cats, chickens and pigs could be affected by the motion brought in by the Swiss Animal Protection (STS) league. The charity collected the 100,000 signatures required for a referendum to be held.

It is hoped that owners would be more inclined to practise responsible pet ownership.

Every area of Switzerland could appoint their own animal lawyer if the motion is put into law, following the canton of Zurich's decision to employ Antoine Goetschel, thought to be Europe's first de facto animal representative.

Critics have suggested that a pet attorney can only do so much after the pet has already suffered abuse, but Mr Goetschel told Der Spiegel that "the changes would acknowledge the importance of human-animal relationships" and would make sure the law regarding them is properly applied.