Animal Welfare Training Ordinance (AWTO)
Amended by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 10 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 627).
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Section 1 Keeping and Caring for Pets and Keeping
Amended by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 10 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 627).
Art. 30 Learning objective
The objective of training in accordance with Article 31 paragraph 4 or 85 paragraph 3 AniWO must be to ensure that animal keepers or the persons responsible for caring for animals are familiar with the principles of appropriate animal husbandry.
Art. 31 Form and scope
Training is given in the form of a course or a traineeship. The course comprises at least five hours of theory, the traineeship at least three weeks of helping to care for the animals in an animal housing facility.
Art. 32 Content
Training provides basic knowledge or practical skills in the area of legal foundations, the species-specific needs of the animals, animal care, feeding, equipment of the housing environment and rearing young animals.
Section 2 ...
Art. 33–35
Repealed by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 23 Nov. 2016, with effect from 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 4873).
Section 3 Handling Fish and Decapods
Art. 36 Learning objectives
The objective of training in accordance with Article 97 paragraph 3 AniWO must be to ensure that the trained persons know how to handle fish and decapods with due care and avoid unnecessary constraints on them.
Art. 36 — Amended by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 10 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 627).
Art. 37 Form and scope
Training is given in the form of a course with practical exercises and lasts at least five hours.
Art. 38 Content of the training
Training provides: a. basic knowledge of the legal foundations, structure and functioning of the body of fishes and decapods, and water quality monitoring; b. in-depth knowledge of housing requirements, particularly where stocking density is high, and of constraints imposed by marking methods; c. the ability to catch, mark, keep and kill the animals with due care.
Section 4 Caring for Animals at Fixed-term Events
Amended by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 10 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 627).
Art. 39 Learning objective
The objective of training in accordance with Article 103 letter d AniWO must be to ensure that the persons responsible for caring for animals during fixed-term events or advertising know how to handle them with due care.
Art. 39 — Amended by No I of the FDHA Ordinance of 10 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 627).
Art. 40 Form and scope
Training is provided in the form of a course lasting at least three hours or a traineeship during at least three events at one or more facilities as described in Article 198c AniWO under the guidance of a person with a corresponding certificate of competence.
Art. 40 — Amended by No I of the FDHA O of 20 Dec. 2024, in force since 1 Feb. 2025 (AS 2025 22).
Art. 41 Content of the training
Training provides basic knowledge of the legal foundations and in-depth knowledge of how to catch and restrain animals, how to transport them with due care, species-appropriate care and housing design, and keeping animal inventories.
Section 5 Dehorning and Castrating Lambs, Goat Kid
Art. 42 Learning objective
The objective of training in accordance with Article 32 AniWO must be to ensure that animal keepers castrate or dehorn young animals correctly, with due care.
Art. 43 Form and scope
Training is provided in the form of a theory course lasting at least three hours, followed by practice under the guidance of a veterinarian on the keeper’s own facility.
Art. 44 Content of the training
1 Training provides basic knowledge of the legal foundations and anatomy and in-depth knowledge of the stress and pain caused, anaesthesia and surgery. 2 Practice on the keeper’s own facility must contain exercises in the appropriate preparation of the animal for the intervention, correct dosage and administration of veterinary drugs and the correct performance of the procedure and monitoring of the animal.