Although animals are highly valued in our society, current legislation does not provide them with sufficient protection everywhere. In addition, the existing regulations are not consistently enforced. In its annual analysis of animal welfare criminal practice, the Foundation for Animals under the Law (TIR) identifies shortcomings in enforcement and in the consistent prosecution and punishment of animal welfare offences. Animal welfare offences are often trivialised or insufficiently punished. One of the reasons for this is that there is a lack of well-trained lawyers working in this area of law throughout Switzerland, who implement the applicable law correctly and consistently. One of the reasons for this loophole lies in the fact that access to animal protection law and its practical application is difficult. Currently, only the University of Bern offers a lecture on animal-related areas of law and the University of Zurich offers a seminar on animal protection criminal law.

Since 1996, the TIR has been committed to continuously improving the position of animals in law and enforcement by, among other things, training lawyers in the field of animal protection law. TIR is the only organisation in Switzerland to offer the opportunity to gain initial experience in the field of animal welfare law as part of an internship. At the same time, it offers the opportunity to gain an insight into the day-to-day work of a non-governmental organisation (NGO). Between 2007 and 2023, more than 200 interns took advantage of this offer, each lasting between four and six weeks. 

The internship provides interested parties with access to and the development of specialist knowledge as well as deeper insight into the practical interpretation and application of animal welfare law. During the time of the internship, interns are part of the team and are involved in various TIR projects. This not only familiarises them with the broad spectrum of legal areas relevant to animals, but also gives them the opportunity to experience the tension and interplay between legislation, official enforcement, media and politics in the field of animal welfare law "live".

The programme is primarily aimed at law students from all over Switzerland with a Bachelor's degree,  but also at lawyers who have already completed their studies, as well as students from abroad. A number of students from Europe and the USA have already completed an internship at TIR due to a lack of comparable programmes in their respective countries of origin. In the past, some interns have also been offered the prospect of further co-operation with TIR, or TIR has offered assistance, for example in the context of a dissertation.

In addition to the four-week internship, we can also offer a three-month internship. This enables more intensive supervision of the interns as well as more opportunities for an in-depth insight into animal welfare law and the work of the TIR. 

The training and supervision of future specialists promotes animal welfare awareness and ensures long-term development in law, ethics and society. This makes the goal of filling important positions in animal welfare law enforcement with competent specialists in the future tangible.

Are you interested in an internship at TIR? Then we look forward to receiving your complete electronic application at koerner@tierimrecht.org.