Ban after biting incidents Only six Rottweiler owners in Zurich apply to keep them

In the canton of Zurich, only six owners of Rottweilers have applied to keep their dog. Since the beginning of the year, Rottweilers have been subject to licensing in the canton of Zurich. Applications must be submitted to the veterinary office by the end of June.

Keystone-SDA

17.02.2025, 04:31

17.02.2025, 05:39

SDA

Current dog owners have been informed of the new permit requirement by email and letter, the Canton of Zurich Veterinary Office announced at the request of Keystone-SDA. The office was able to draw on information from the Amicus dog database.

Six applications have currently been received. Anyone who does not comply with this obligation by the end of June is liable to prosecution. Around 350 Rottweilers are currently registered in the canton of Zurich, which corresponds to 0.5 percent of the dog population. Mixed breeds with more than 10 percent Rottweiler blood now also require a license.

Because several children were attacked by Rottweilers last year, the cantonal government decided to ban the purchase of this breed from the beginning of 2025. In addition, anyone who already owns such a dog and wants to continue living with it in Zurich must apply for a license within six months.

Dog ownershipRottweiler club plans to file an appeal against Zurich ban

Costs between 700 and 900 francs

For the Rottweiler permit, the four-legged friends will undergo a character assessment, which is expected to cost between 700 and 900 francs. According to the veterinary office, this is based on previous experience with other breeds on the prohibited list.

However, the costs depend on the effort involved, and this is not the same for all dogs. First, someone from the veterinary office will visit the owners at home. The owners must also submit documents and complete questionnaires.

This is used to carry out a risk assessment and ultimately decide whether a permit is granted or whether further clarifications such as a behavioral analysis are required.

"We assume that the vast majority of applications will be granted keeping permits, although in some cases probably with conditions," said the veterinary office. This refers to training courses or a leash and muzzle requirement.

Euthanizing "always the last option"

If all measures are not sufficient to reduce the potential danger, the veterinary office can reject the application. In this case, the owners must either place their four-legged friend in another canton themselves or the veterinary office will confiscate it.

In the case of confiscation, the office works together with an institution that can ideally place the dog in another canton. "Euthanizing an animal is always the last option." The hurdles for this are rightly very high for animal welfare reasons.

Slightly different rules apply to Rottweilers younger than 15 months: With good results, they receive a provisional holding permit until they are two years old. After that, however, owners must submit a new application.

Exam preparation in the Rottweiler Club

Opposition to the Rottweiler ban has formed because "a breed ban does not solve any problems". The Swiss Rottweiler Club (SRC) and the Zurich Dog Association have lodged an appeal with the Administrative Court. This is currently still pending.

Rottweiler friends and opponents of breed bans have also launched a petition calling for the "blanket regulation" to be lifted. So far, over 13,500 people have signed the petition.

The SRC now wants to help owners prepare for the character assessment. It is offering a preliminary test in which the conditions, as far as they are known, are simulated as realistically as possible in order to get the dog used to the test situation. This should also reduce stress and uncertainty among the owners.

Rottweilers are now included in Breed Type List II. Breeds such as American Bull Terriers, Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers have been on this list since 2010. The reason for the introduction of the list was a pit bull attack in 2005, in which a six-year-old boy was bitten to death in Oberglatt ZH.