Although TIR is mainly active in Switzerland, it attaches great importance to international dialogue. To this end, it regularly works with individuals and organisations from abroad who are active in animal rights. In August, TIR therefore organised an informal get-together at its head office with Joyce Tischler and Kim Stallwood, who were its guests for three days. 

Joyce Tischler is regarded as a pioneer in animal welfare law in America. She is a Professor of Animal Law at the Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland and co-founder of the Animal Legal Defence Fund (ALDF), which has been campaigning for the protection of animals through the legal system since 1979. She was also one of the first North American lawyers to systematically take animal rights cases to court. In her lecture, she spoke about how she got committed to animal protection and offered insights into the beginnings of the ALDF. This now renowned institution, which is active beyond American borders, began as a small organisation and only became what it is today thanks to the commitment of a handful of goal-oriented and persistent lawyers. In conclusion, Joyce emphasised the importance of promoting young talent in animal protection law.

Kim Stallwood is a British author, activist and long-time friend of TIR. He has been strongly involved in the protection and rights of animals since the 1970s. 

He has held leadership positions in various major international animal welfare and animal rights organisations and regularly publishes works relevant to animal rights. During his presentation, he told the audience the story of Topsy - a female elephant who was captured from the wild in Southeast Asia and brought to the United States as a circus elephant. At the end of the 19th century, she became sadly famous for her death by electrocution. Kim Stallwood is currently writing her biography so that not only Topsy's death but also her life is remembered and properly honoured.

The event was rounded off with a tour of the Kim Stallwood Archive. This unique collection of historical documents, which TIR took over from Kim Stallwood, can be visited by appointment during opening hours. It serves as a repository for scientific work on the development of the animal rights movement in Europe and North America. 

We would like to thank Joyce and Kim for the valuable insights into their pioneering work. It is important to us to preserve the history of the human-animal relationship in its various facets and to learn from past mistakes in order to bring about visible and tangible positive change in the treatment of animals.