Are you basing story selections on how many cat photos you have stored in your cell phone?
An AP story that was picked up by the New York Times reports that roughly 70 percent of voters in Switzerland on Sunday struck down a referendum that would have allowed for special lawyers to represent abused animals–be they house pets or farm livestock.
Switzerland has what are probably the most stringent animal-rights laws in the world, but activists think that they are often unenforceable without legal intervention to untangle the esoterica. An excerpt:
“The country’s 160-page animal protection law states exactly how much space owners must give Mongolian gerbils (233 square inches) and what water temperature is required for African clawed frogs (64-72 degrees Fahrenheit).
It stipulates that pigs, budgies, goldfish and other social animals cannot be kept alone. Horses and cows must have regular exercise outside their stalls and dog owners have to take a training course to learn how to properly look after their pets.
Swiss daily Tribune de Geneve reported earlier this year that a woman who decapitated four chickens and left their heads on the doorstep of her love rival received a 90-day suspended sentence.”
