Posts tagged "switzerland"

In most towns, authorities may threaten you with massive fines, liens or even foreclosure if you don't pay your taxes. In the Swiss village of Reconvilier, they may just put your dog down.

As bizarre as it may sound, one small Swiss town has discovered that it has a severe law on the books to punish owners who don't pay their annual dog tax (yes, they even have a tax for owning a dog). According to the Huffington Post, tax officials recently discovered that a 1904 law gives the city government the authority to kill a dog if its owner fails to pay the canine tax -- $50 a year.

To be fair, Reconvilier official Pierre-AlainNemitz claims that the town is not advocating a mass canine execution. Instead, officials are simply using the law to put pressure on canine tax deadbeats, who they claim owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in doggie back taxes.

It's hard to imagine that the village of only 2,245 residents and 280 dogs is going to take the aggressive tax policy lightly. In the United States, many people treat their dogs like family members -- sometimes much better. We can only imagine what kind of outrage and bedlam might ensue if the same proclamation were made in this country.

We understand that times are tight and the tax man desperately needs money to bridge budget shortfalls, but this is just way over the line. Plus, it seems unfair to punish the dog for the owner's transgressions. Congratulations, Reconvilier tax officials! If there was any possible way to make tax day more dreaded or painful, you've certainly nailed it.

It seems obvious that the town of Reconvilier should tone down its insane anti-dog rhetoric. What do you say Paw Naiton? Should residents revolt and call the tax man's bluff? Or just -- pardon the pun -- roll over and pay the fee? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Forced to decide whether their country of Switzerland should create a national system to provide state-funded lawyers to represent animals in court, the Swiss people voted, and the outcome was a resounding no. "The measure was rejected by around 70 percent of voters," reports BBC News.

Currently, Zurich is the only Swiss canton (an administrative district similar to a county in the United States) to have a government-subsidized animal lawyer. Antoine Goetschel represents dogs, cats, guinea pigs, farm animals, and even fish who have been abused, reports the (U.K.) Telegraph.

"People accused of animal cruelty very often hire lawyers to defend themselves," Goetschel tells the Telegraph. "Why shouldn't someone speak for the animal as well? It's about fairness and defending a minority."

The referendum was required to be held after "activists from the Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) collected more than the 100,000 signatures required to force a national ballot," reports the Telegraph. But the animal activists were in the minority. The majority of voters in 26 cantons in Switzerland voted against the measure. Goetschel wasn't surprised. "Animal welfare has been a big topic in Switzerland in the last few years and perhaps this has been too much for some Swiss," the Zurich animal lawyer told the Telegraph.

Switzerland has some of the world's strictest animal protection laws, reports the Telegraph. "It recently changed its constitution to protect the 'dignity' of plant life and made a law last year establishing rights for creatures such as goldfish and canaries," states the Telegraph. "Pigs, budgies and other social creatures cannot be kept alone; horses and cows must be regularly exercised outside their stalls and dog owners are required to take a training course to learn how to properly care for their pets."

What do you think? Is the notion of state-funded lawyers for animals just too bizarre? Or is it a great idea?