The Dignity of Kangal Fish in the Context of the Swiss Animal Protection Act

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Since 2008, the Swiss Animal Protection Act protects not only the welfare but also the dignity of animals. This article explains the concept of the dignity of animals in the context of the Act. Weighing of interests is applied in a specific situation to answer the question of whether the dignity of the animal is respected or not. With this method, the strain imposed on the animal and the interests involved in the situation are evaluated and compared. The seven-step model for the weighing of interests is explained in detail. How the weighing of interests deals with practical questions is shown with the example of kangal fish used for therapeutic or recreational purposes. ABSTRACT: Since 2008, the Swiss Animal Protection Act (AniPA) protects not only the welfare but also the dignity of the animal. Weighing of interests plays a crucial role in the implementation of the dignity concept. This article outlines the concept of the dignity of animals and explains the method of weighing of interests in the context of the AniPA. The ‘Dignity of the Animal’ study group (DSG) of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has disputed the implementation of this novel concept in animal welfare and has developed a model procedure to ensure that weighing of interests in the context of the AniPA is carried out correctly and in a standardized way. Weighing of interests is performed in seven steps: 1. Describing the aim; 2. presentation of the facts; 3. assessing suitability; 4. assessing necessity; 5. identifying and assessing strain; 6. identifying and assessing interests; and 7. comparing strain vs. interests. The application of the model is shown with the example of kangal fish used for therapeutic or recreational purposes. It shows how the outcome of the weighing of interests will differ for the same setup depending on the nature of interests involved.