It’s Official: Animals Have Social Needs

It’s official in Switzerland at least, where, under a new federal law, failure to provide any “social” animals contact with others of their own kind will be legally defined as abuse. Better yet, the law requires training for prospective dog guardians and sets some common-sense guidelines regarding living conditions for many other animals, including animals on farms.

Of course, there’s still room for improvement. No word yet on how the Swiss are going to square this law with the country’s appalling cat-skinning trade, which has largely been ignored by authorities. The new regulations also require anglers to learn how to kill fish humanely. While it’s encouraging that they’re recognizing that fish are social animals, as a former fishing-contest winner, I know that the chances of finding a “humane” way to violently rip these animals from their environment to suffocate to death isn’t bloody likely (though it is likely bloody).

Still, this new law is definitely a step in the right direction. It should be recognized and applauded, even while we keep up our efforts to bring about further reforms. Swiss chard for everyone!