Switzerland’s first animal hatch opens

The wooden box is located on the edge of a forest and is equipped with a camera, fan and solar panel. Keystone-SDA

The first small-animal hatch in Switzerland opened on Saturday near Thun, in canton Bern. The foundation which runs the hatch aims to prevent the abandonment of rabbits, guinea pigs and other rodents.

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The new hatch is part of a pilot project that offers pet owners in emergency situations the option of giving up the animal. Local newspapers first reported on the project on Monday.

The wooden box is located on the edge of the forest above Hünegg Castle and is equipped with a camera, fan and solar panel. After the animal is handed in, it is examined, cared for and released for adoption after two months.

The Tierklappe foundation is financed exclusively by donations. President Jasmin Reinhard explained in a newspaper report that the project is not only intended to be a rescue centre, but also to carry out prevention and education work. The aim is to raise awareness of the needs of neglected pets.

“The animal hatch is not a free pass to irresponsibility, but an alternative to looking the other way,” says the foundation’s website. For many animals, it is a way out. The focus is on rabbits and rodents because they are often overlooked and their needs underestimated or ignored.

Translated from German with DeepL/gw

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