Invisible Animals
In Switzerland, animal welfare issues are mainly discussed with regard to wildlife, companion animals and so-called “farmed animals”. In doing so, we forget about the individual whose interests we neglect the most and who are hardly – if at all – protected by the law. We are talking about the “invisible” animals – pigeons, rats, bees and fish.
These animals are subjected to immense daily suffering. Pesticides strip bees of their navigational abilities; rats face an agonising death from rodenticides; sick pigeons lie lifeless on the streets of our cities; and fish are confined in aquaculture basins under conditions that would be deemed unacceptable even in factory farming.
Considering the capacity for suffering as a crucial moral criterion is the core concern of Sentience. Therefore, we believe that all these animals deserve more attention, consideration, and protection. To eradicate today’s injustices, we must, together with you, sharpen public awareness and advocate for animals’ interests in politics.
Even small changes – such as banning certain rodenticides or pesticides, maintaining pigeon lofts, and improving water quality in aquaculture – can improve the well-being of billions of animals. By signing our petitions today, you help bring political attention to the “invisible” animals.
Goal
With our four petitions, we urge policymakers to take the suffering of bees, rats, pigeons and fish seriously. The more signatures we collect for our petitions, the more we can show policymakers that the protection of non-human animals matters to the population.
Parliamentary allies will carry our petitions into parliament, where we will strive for real change. In practice, this would translate to fewer pesticides for bees, fewer rodenticides for rats, improved population management for pigeons and better living conditions for fish in aquaculture.
Currently, there is hardly any lobbying for these non-human animals. That is why there is significant potential to prevent a lot of suffering through the implementation of simple and practical measures. Together, we can make the “invisible” animals visible and contribute to improving the lives of billions of non-human animals.
Contact
Managing Director, Head of Campaigns & Politics
