The IAHAIO world congress takes place every three years and provides an important platform for experts from all over the world where they can exchange knowledge in matters of the human-animal relationship.

As was the case during previously held congresses, this year, TIR was once again given the chance to contribute its knowledge on the legal issues aspects of theis the human-animal relationship.

In line with their workshop on the topic “ Animals in the Law – A Global Perspective – Update 2007” Antoine F. Goetschel and Gieri Bolliger presented a broad comparative study on the legal recognition of animals in 18 different national regulations. The framework, which was already used in Glasgow in 2004, contains information on 18 crucial questions regarding the relation between human beings and animals. It was expanded during the last three years in order to present a very capacious comparison of those 18 nations to the audience in Tokyo. TIR foundation showcased Swiss law alongside the legal positions of Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, UK, Canada, USA, Argentina, Japan, South Korea, China, South Africa, and New Zealand in order to critically compare and review them.

One of the interesting results of this study is that, to some extent, Switzerland does actually have more animal-friendly legal norms than most of the other investigated countries. However, there are still, of course, huge shortcomings in terms of animal welfare law in our country and a lot of improvement still needs to be done.

The presentation of TIR gained a lot of approval and interest from the international audience. In view of the next IAHAIO world congress (which will take place in Stockholm in 2010) the foundationTIR is considering to further expand the study by using and also improving the already existing network of relationships between the different nations.

By working together more closely with the other nations, the foundationTIR hopes to raise awareness for the differences in the national introduction of animal welfare into respective national laws and hopes to improve the status of the animal in the law by working on stricter legal norms regarding animal welfare.

The results and a full summary of this study can be viewed here. Please note that despite trying to reflect the legal positions in matters of animal welfare in the different countries 100 % truthfully, the Stiftung für das Tier im Recht cannot take legal responsibility for the correctness of this information.

In line with another workshop named "A Universal, Natural and Basic Human Right To Have Contact With Animals?", the foundation’s director Antoine F. Goetschel provided the groundwork for the request that all human beings should be able and allowed to keep a pet or at least be generally allowed to have contact with them. He thereby referred to his knowledge, which he gained back in 1989 while researching for and writing his dissertation about animal welfare and basic rights.

During this year's congress, the IAHAIO actually consentaneously adopted a declaration that contains this request as a basic right worldwide.

Due to the very positive feedback on their presentation, TIR can proudly say that it is one of the top institutions regarding animal welfare and has already made some very important efforts in this field, such as its recent initiative to request that an official institution of an animal lawyer be introduced worldwide following the example of the Swiss equivalent in Zurich.