Switzerland has high levels of animal welfare protection by international standards.
Public vivisection was met with scattered disapproval when first performed in Swiss universities in the 1830s, but did not see organized opposition.
[5] In 2010, Swiss voters rejected a referendum which would appoint lawyers on the behalf of animals, with only 29.5% voting in favor of the measure.
The Act provides that animal handlers must account for their needs as best as possible and ensure their well-being as far as the circumstances of the intended purpose permit.
In 2016, the Swiss government decided to ban the sale of cosmetics products containing ingredients newly tested on animals.
Since the early 1980s, there was a steady downward trend in the use of animals in research in Switzerland, which stabilized in recent years.
If passed, the measure would amend the cantonal constitution to "right to life and respect for the physical and mental integrity" for non-human primates.
[17] In addition to its campaign for primate rights in Basel, Sentience Politics has ongoing campaigns in Basel, Lucerne, and Zürich to enact policies which would commit cantonal or municipal governments to promoting plant-based diets, including the offering of vegetarian and vegan options in public cafeterias.