Alleged abuses at the small animal clinic –
Magazine makes allegations against Zurich animal hospital
Animals smeared with feces and an outbreak of multi-resistant germs: An “Observer” article casts a bad light on the university small animal clinic in Zurich. The animal hospital denies this.
Published today at 1:29 p.m
“The situation is more than serious,” writes the clinic director: A dog in the Zurich small animal clinic. (symbol image)
Photo: Keystone
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- The “Observer” magazine reports on alarming conditions in the Zurich animal hospital.
- Unhealed wounds and moldy food were documented.
- Multi-resistant bacteria are said to have spread due to hygiene problems.
- The animal hospital denies the allegations and emphasizes safety measures.
There are worrying images and descriptions that appeared in the “Observer” magazine from the university small animal clinic in Zurich reported: There are reports of injured animals with some unhealed wounds lying in their feces, moldy food and a lack of care and violations of hygiene standards.
The conditions are said to have led to an outbreak of multi-resistant germs. The “observer” relies on video and image material, statements from employees and internal documents.
Germs spread
Because the hygiene rules were not adhered to, so-called CPE bacteria spread. According to the Federal Office of Public Health, these multi-resistant germs represent a “potential threat to public health”. Under certain conditions, they can lead to urinary tract infections, peritonitis or pneumonia in people.
According to the report, every second animal randomly sampled was a carrier of the germs. Four dogs and a cat were infected and one of the animals died. An internal email from the head of the small animal clinic is quoted: “The situation is more than serious, closing the clinic must be considered if the germ load cannot be reduced.”
Animal hospital denies the allegations
The media office of the University of Zurich wrote in a statement that there had never been an increase in cases of illness or death. The situation is being continuously monitored, and cleaning and disinfection as well as staff training have also been implemented.
The veterinary clinic also rejects the other allegations: They do not represent the entirety of the clinic’s processes. Although animals with diarrhea can get dirty, they will be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Short-term accumulation of dirty food bowls could not be avoided.
The veterinary clinic suspects that the allegations are based largely on the statements of a person who works night shift. During the night, the reduced staff only has to focus on absolutely necessary care.
Animal rights activist looks at the pictures
The “Observer” also showed the recordings to Julika Fitzi, a member of the management team at Swiss Animal Protection. Their verdict: “Conditions that violate animal welfare are clearly visible in the recordings.” Animals would suffer from great stress if they were lying in their excrement, which could also lead to infections and blood poisoning. No animal voluntarily lays in its own feces, says the veterinarian.
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