A law with gaps

The new Swiss Federal Animal Protection Act has been in force since September 1, 2008 and stipulates an import ban on dog and cat fur as well as products made from such fur. This law, however, can only be enforced if the products are declared properly. Thanks to the introduction of the duty for declaration of furs and fur products of March 1, 2013 applying to wild animals but also to rabbits, for instance, consumers have the possibility to inform themselves of the animal species, origin, and fur production methods.

Consumers can therefore no longer avoid looking the other way when they make their purchase decisions. And to refrain from a purchase if answers regarding origin, holding or killing leave room for doubt. 

Furs stemming from cruel animal keeping, from hunting or ruthless killing are still imported to Switzerland by the ton. Despite various different political and public efforts and initiatives, the Swiss Federal Council still hides behind existing international agreements. And this, even though a legal opinion was worked out, explaining that a prohibition of such imports would be compatible with the prevailing international obligations. The Federal Council also refused to prohibit the import of seal products, which shows that it considers the threat of possible trade sanctions to have priority over ensuring animal protection.