The Animal Health and Welfare Division promotes animals’ health and welfare. Its activities are science-based and it works closely with breeders’ organisations and enforcement agencies.
It comprises four sectors:
Animal Health sector
Animal Welfare sector
Animal Experimentation sector
Veterinary Medicines sector
The Animal Health sector initiates and coordinates programmes for the early detection of new or recurring epizootics, animal diseases and zoonoses. It is responsible for the annual national epizootic monitoring programme, for reporting epizootics and zoonoses and for official diagnosis of epizootics. In the event of an animal disease outbreak, the sector is tasked with data analysis and situation reporting, and coordinates activities. The Animal Health sector also regulates animal transportation and the handling of animal by-products. It is in close contact with animal health services and coordinates the FSVO’s animal health strategy.
The Animal Welfare sector is responsible for the welfare of livestock, horses, domestic and wild animals, and for the handling of these species.
To this end, it operates two centres that research livestock farming and test new housing systems. The Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs is run jointly with Agroscope in Posieux. At the Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits in Zollikofen, work is carried out in cooperation with the Aviforum and the University of Bern’s Veterinary Public Health Institute.
The Animal Welfare sector prepares specialist information covering livestock farming, commercial pet care, pet shops, international animal trade, painful interventions, breeding, animal transport, euthanasia and slaughtering, and various leisure activities involving animals.
It also advises the cantonal animal welfare offices and supports continuing education programmes for them.
The Animal Experimentation sector oversees the approval of animal experiments and is the specialist point of contact for the Animex animal experiments information and approval system. It encourages the development of and compliance with the 3Rs (replace, reduce, refine) in animal experimentation. It advises the Cantonal animal welfare offices and committees on animal experimentation and supports the enforcement agencies.
The Veterinary Medicines sector creates the framework within which veterinary medicines can be used safely. Its goal is to maximise appropriate use of antibiotics in animals. It does this by recording antibiotic use, monitoring resistance and developing targeted improvements.
Last modification 21.03.2025
