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 six sectors:
Animal Disease Prevention sector
Animal Disease Control sector
Veterinary Medicines sector
Livestock Husbandry sector
Domestic and Wild Animal Welfare sector
Animal Experimentation sector
The Animal Disease Prevention sector initiates and coordinates programmes to identify 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. The sector is also tasked with data analysis and situation reporting in the event of epizootics.
The Animal Disease Control sector develops and oversees control programmes. One important task is crisis preparation. In the event of an outbreak, the sector will coordinate activities. It 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 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.
The Livestock Husbandry sector is the specialist unit dedicated to species-appropriate livestock husbandry. It operates two centres that conduct husbandry research, test new holding facilities and advise enforcement agencies. The ruminants and pigs centre is operated jointly with Agroscope, the poultry and rabbits centre with Aviforum and the University of Bern.
The sector is responsible for the husbandry of horses and domestic and wild animals and for how these species are handled. It prepares specialist information covering commercial domestic animal husbandry, pet shops, international animal trade, painful interventions, breeding, animal transport, euthanasia and slaughtering and various leisure-time activities involving animals. It advises the Cantonal animal welfare offices and supports the continuous training provided 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.
Last modification 18.03.2024
