- Around 45 cats were discovered in a neglected condition in a house in the Zurich lowlands.
- The animal protection organization NetAP has filed a criminal complaint for animal cruelty.
- The organization also makes serious allegations against the veterinary office.
- Although there was evidence eight months earlier, the office did not intervene.
“It was just crazy,” says Esther Geisser, president of the animal protection organization Network for Animal Protection (NetAP), about the moment when she entered a single-family home in a small community in the Zurich lowlands at the beginning of May.
The house is completely littered and dirty been, she tells the «observer». In the chaotic conditions, the animal rights activists came across something like this 45 cats, including 21 kittens. There was also a dog, two rabbits and two guinea pigs on the property.
“They were completely overwhelmed”
Many cats were malnourished, unkempt and did not receive medical care, says Geisser. Investigations also showed that numerous animals were heavily infested with parasites.
NetAP estimates that at least 30 kittens have died since August 2025. “The animal owners were obviously completely overwhelmed by the situation,” says Geisser. According to the organization, they didn’t even know how many cats they owned.
Criminal charges for animal cruelty
NetAP has filed a criminal complaint against the animal owners for multiple acts of animal cruelty and at the same time accuses the Zurich veterinary office of failings.
According to a supervisory complaint from NetAP, reports of possible irregularities were received as early as August 2025. A neighbor found dead kittens in front of the house. The Zurich animal protection agency also reported the case and expressed suspicion of animal hoarding. “The suffering of the animals and the deaths could have been prevented if the office had acted in a timely manner,” says Geisser.
Suspected animal hoarding
Animal hoarding refers to the pathological collecting of animals. Those affected often do not recognize that they are overwhelmed and can no longer adequately care for the animals.
The veterinary office only checked animal husbandry in mid-May 2026. This delay is incomprehensible for NetAP.
This is what the veterinary office says
At the request of the “Observer”, the Zurich veterinary office rejected the allegations. For data protection reasons, we do not comment on individual cases. In principle, all animal welfare reports are checked promptly and prioritized according to their urgency.
Michelle Brazerol (mib), has been working for 20 minutes since March 2026. She is an intern in the Eastern Switzerland editorial team.
