Team

Executive Board

bolliger@tierimrecht.org

List of publications

gerritsen@tierimrecht.org

kuenzli@tierimrecht.org

Legal Staff

Dr. iur. Michelle Richner obtained her law degree from the University of Zurich in 2007. She has been working for TIR since 2005 and was also a substitute for the Zurich Attorney for Animal Protection in Criminal Matters from 2008 to 2010 as well as an assistant to the Chair For Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure of Prof. Dr. Daniel Jositsch from 2012 to 2013. As part of her work at TIR, she contributed to various publications related to animal welfare law (e.g. the guidebooks "Tier im Recht transparent" and "Pferd im Recht transparent" or the fundamental guide "Tierschutzstrafrecht in Theorie und Praxis"). In 2014, she published her dissertation on the keeping of companion animals from an animal welfare-related criminal law perspective ("Heimtierhaltung aus tierschutzstrafrechtlicher Sicht", grade "summa cum laude"). Since 2023, she has been questioning various aspects of society's treatment of animals as part of the TIR blog. She also keeps the team fit and healthy with regular yoga classes.

List of publications (in German)

richner@tierimrecht.org

List of publications (in German)

ruettimann@tierimrecht.org

Mag. iur. Bianca Körner graduated from the University of Constance in 2017 with a law degree, specializing in international economic activity. After completing an internship at TIR, she joined the team in 2017 and now heads TIR's project for the promotion of future animal welfare lawyers. Bianca is also involved in the annual analysis of the Swiss animal welfare-related penal practice and other publications on animal welfare law. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Animal Welfare Committee of the Canton of Zurich.

List of publications (in German)

koerner@tierimrecht.org

MLaw Caroline Mulle completed her law studies at the University of Lucerne in 2016. She already focused on animal welfare law as a student, writing both her bachelor's and master's thesis in this field. After her studies, she initially worked as a legal trainee at a circuit court and a public prosecutor's office and then went on to work as a legal employee at a law firm. Caroline joined TIR in March 2020 as a legal researcher. By now she heads the legal information service, contributes to various publications on animal welfare law and participates in TIR's political work. 

mullle@tierimrecht.org

MLaw Sibel Konyo completed her law studies at the University of Lucerne in summer 2020. Animal welfare law has captivated Sibel throughout her studies, which is why she completed an internship with TIR towards the end of her bachelor's program and also wrote her master thesis in the field. In June 2020, Sibel joined the TIR team as a legal employee and is now mainly involved with work on the legal commentary on the Animal Welfare Act. Since 2023, Sibel is also a member of the Zurich Committee on Animal Experimentation.

konyo@tierimrecht.org

MLaw Deborah Bätscher completed her law studies at the University of Bern in 2021. Due to her great interest in animal welfare law, she wrote her Master's thesis and a paper in this field as part of an exchange semester at the University of Stockholm. After graduating, she worked as a trainee at a court, a public authority and a law firm in the Canton of Bern and completed an internship at TIR. In 2024, she returned to TIR as a legal research assistant.

baetscher@tierimrecht.org

MLaw Laura Baumann completed her law studies at the University of Lucerne in 2015. After working as a research assistant at a chair for criminal law and criminal procedure law, she completed an internship at a law firm in Lucerne and obtained the Lucerne attorney's license in 2021. Following that, she worked as a court clerk at the Cantonal Court of Nidwalden. Since 2024, she has been employed as a legal researcher at TIR.

baumann@tierimrecht.org

Library

zeller@tierimrecht.org

Fundraising

Simon Bachmann graduated from high school and completed a bachelor's degree in business communication at the HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich in 2020. During his studies, he worked for various NPOs, mainly in fundraising, marketing, and communication. He joined TIR in October 2021 as head of fundraising.

bachmann@tierimrecht.org

Communications

M.A. Joëlle New studied Communication Science & Media Research at the University of Zurich and at City University in London. Already during her studies, she explored the topic of animal welfare campaigns in several research projects. After graduating, she gained her first NGO experience in the field of communication, marketing & fundraising and then worked for over six years as a consultant for an advertising and communication agency, where she implemented various communication measures and campaigns on- and offline. In 2021, she gained additional professional experience as a social media manager at an NGO. Since the beginning of 2023, she has been responsible for communication at TIR.

new@tierimrecht.org

Administration

Liana Bressan completed a commercial training program in 1984 and obtained an Advanced Federal PET Diploma to become a certified marketing manager in 1995. From 2007 to 2011 she established and managed the TIR administration and was also responsible for marketing and fundraising. After returning from a four-month sabbatical, she took over as head of finance. She is still involved in fundraising and supports the TIR executive board with various tasks and projects.

bressan@tierimrecht.org

MSc Gabriela Gschwend completed a one-year internship at TIR in 2005 as part of her commercial training. She continued to support TIR while obtaining her vocational baccalaureate and completing an additional course qualifying her for higher education. In 2008, she began studying biology at the University of Zurich, graduating in 2015 with a Master's degree in ecology. After her studies, Gabriela returned to TIR and took over as head of administration in 2016. She’s responsible for the areas of administration, fundraising and personnel. Gabriela also provides the foundation with support on biological issues.

List of publications (in German)

koch@tierimrecht.org

Furry Coworkers

Camiro has been a regular at TIR since 2017 and has been an official member of the TIR team since 2023. Despite his advanced age, he is still fit enough to keep the whole team on their toes and initiate a football match. His siren-like shouts are his trademark and have proven to be an effective way of enforcing his will. Camiro has always been a loyal companion and entertainer and honours his name as the little prince.

A visit to the local animal shelter during a seminar in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) brought Alma and the TIR team together in a fateful way. After careful consideration, thorough preparation and an extended period of getting to know each other, Alma travelled to Switzerland in the summer of 2023 and became part of the TIR team. Her initial mistrust of humans subsides with a little patience and, if she is liked, is crowned by a propeller-like tail wagging with vocal accompaniment, with which she takes hearts by storm.

Born as a Spanish street dog, Kira (2006-2019) was adopted from a shelter in Zurich in 2006. She regularly worked at TIR and was one HOUNDred percent dedicated to animal law. Kira was also the shooting star for TIR's bestseller "Tier im Recht transparent". She loved the hustle and bustle at the office and was always excited to see her two- and four-legged friends. She charmed everyone she met and conquered the hearts of the entire TIR team. We all miss her very much!

Twiggy left shelter life behind to join the TIR team in 2013. Together with the other canine employees, she worked with great enthusiasm for better protection of her fellow dogs and all other animals until her death in 2022. She always liked it cozy and was happy when nobody disputed her place. But she knew how to use her charm and liked to wander from office to office to be stroked. She was also to be found at lunchtime yoga every now and then. 

Beluga was found on the streets of Malaga (Spain) and brought to the animal shelter. She has been living in Zurich since 2014 and can often be seen at TIR. Her main tasks include greeting employees and guests and supervising the kitchen and office areas.

Coco has been with TIR since the end of 2017. Her motto is: "small is beautiful" and her tasks include demanding cuddles and supervising the entrance area at TIR. Like many others, Coco had no easy start in life and did not find a forever home until she was 5 years old. For this reason she fought together with Bianca for the rights of other dogs until her death in 2022.

Alumni

Internship

TIR offers internships on a regular basis for students interested in animal welfare law. You can find further information here (in German). Over the past years, the following individuals have completed our internship: