Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) - Wir geben Tieren Recht!

What Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) - Wir geben Tieren Recht! does

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is a Swiss non-profit foundation established in 1996 and headquartered in Zürich, dedicated exclusively to animal welfare law. Its mandate covers the full territory of Switzerland, including all 26 cantons (with specific attention to the dog law of canton Tessin). The foundation is led by Managing Director Dr. iur. Gieri Bolliger and operates with 13 staff, delivering a free legal advice service for animal owners and stakeholders, a specialized library of approximately 24,000 books and resources, and a comprehensive database of Swiss animal welfare criminal case sentences. Its scholarly output is distributed bilingually (German and English) and increasingly through audio and video channels, including the 'Tier erst Recht!' podcast and a YouTube presence.

The foundation's core assets are its accumulated legal knowledge, curated case law database, and physical/digital library, all maintained through ongoing expert monitoring of Swiss and cantonal legislation. TIR also runs the TIR Animal Law Award, an academic recognition program, and is integrating its library with the Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP) effective January 2026, which extends the reach of its collection to academic and public library users nationally.

TIR's business model is a tax-deductible donation model with no government subsidies. Revenue streams include general donations, project-specific contributions, legacy/estate giving, and memorial funds (with virtual memorial plaques), supplemented by a Shopify-based online merchandise shop. Its go-to-market relies on a multi-channel presence (website, newsletter, podcast, YouTube, social media) and partnerships with platforms including RaiseNow, MailChimp, Shopify, PostFinance, Google services, and SLSP. The foundation's donor base is distributed and long-tail by design, and the organization does not have enterprise customers, meaning revenue is not concentrated but is also subject to the volatility typical of small donation-funded entities.

Name

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) - Wir geben Tieren Recht!

Legal name

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR)

Website

https://tierimrecht.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is a Zürich-based Swiss non-profit foundation founded in 1996 that provides free legal advice, a ~24,000-volume library, and a criminal case database on animal welfare law across all 26 cantons, funded entirely by tax-deductible donations, legacies, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Law Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAEALAC

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Welfare, Boarding & Production Support Services (non-veterinary)

SECONDARYBPAGAIAG

Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Animal Welfare & Wildlife Rescue

SECONDARYHLAMAJAG

Animal Welfare Regulation & Enforcement

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Animal Health Public Health, Regulators & Disease Control

Keywords

• Animal law services
• Legal information resources
• Animal welfare legislation
• Criminal case database
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: TIR relies primarily on donations from individuals, organizations, and supporters. Donations are tax-deductible for Swiss taxpayers. The foundation offers various donation methods including TWINT, credit card, PostFinance, Apple Pay, PayPal, and bank transfers.
2. Legacies and Inheritance: Benefactors can appoint TIR as their heir or bequeath a legacy. TIR is exempt from inheritance and gift taxes, meaning the full value of legacies goes to animal welfare projects.
3. Project-Specific Contributions: Donors can support specific TIR projects through targeted project donations.
4. Memorial Fund Donations: Animal owners can make donations in memory of deceased pets through the TIR memorial fund, with entries on a virtual memorial plaque.
5. Online Shop Sales: TIR sells merchandise including T-shirts (produced climate-neutral and vegan) through its web shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation operating as a competence center for animal welfare law. It provides free legal advice on animal-related legal matters under Swiss law, maintains comprehensive databases of federal and cantonal animal legislation, tracks Swiss animal welfare criminal cases, and operates a reference library of approximately 24,000 books, essays, and media on animals in law, ethics, and society.

Product overview

Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) is a Swiss non-profit foundation established in 1996 that serves as a competence center for animal welfare law. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a comprehensive suite of information services centered on legal animal protection. Core offerings include a free Legal Advice Service providing guidance on animal-related Swiss law matters, a Reference Library with approximately 24,000 books and materials, a Criminal Cases Database documenting Swiss animal welfare enforcement, a Legislation Database compiling federal and cantonal animal laws, a Cantonal Dog Laws Database covering all 26 Swiss cantons, an Animal Welfare Law Encyclopedia, and Wildlife Protection Information resources. Additional services include the Friendsmail newsletter, TIR Podcast 'Tier erst Recht!', Library Newsletter, Publications (books, expert opinions, flyers, case reviews), an Online Shop for merchandise, a Memorial Fund for donations in memory of pets, Legacy/Heritage donation programs, the TIR Animal Law Award, and public awareness Campaigns. The organization operates on donations and project-specific funding, with no government subsidies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advice Service (Rechtsauskunftsdienst) Free legal information and guidance on animal-related legal questions under Swiss law, addressing issues such as animal cruelty, dog ownership, liability, veterinary matters, tenancy law, and wildlife protection for private individuals.
• Reference Library (Bibliothek) Reference library containing approximately 24,000 books, essays, and media materials on animals in law, ethics, and society, including newspapers, journals, and film clips, accessible by appointment at TIR's Zurich office.
• Criminal Cases Database (Tierschutzstraffälle) Comprehensive database of all Swiss animal welfare-related criminal sentences reported to the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Services (FSVO), providing insight into criminal enforcement of animal welfare law.
• Legislation Database (Gesetzestexte) Compilation of all Swiss federal and cantonal animal-related legal provisions organized by topic, including animal welfare legislation, epizootic diseases, hunting, fisheries, species conservation, and international conventions.
• Cantonal Dog Laws Database (Hunderecht) Overview of current dog laws across all 26 Swiss cantons, providing information on regulations, breed restrictions, training requirements, and licensing obligations applicable in each canton.
• Animal Welfare Law Encyclopedia (Lexikon Tierschutzrecht) Reference resource explaining the most important animal welfare-related legal terms and concepts, clarifying their legal interpretation and application.
• Wildlife Protection Information (Wildtierschutz) Educational resource covering international and native wildlife protection issues including biodiversity, species trade, bushmeat, exotic pets, trophy hunting, and guidance on responsible behavior abroad.
• Online Shop E-commerce store selling TIR merchandise including T-shirts (available in men's and women's styles, in various colors), operating on the Shopify platform.
• Memorial Fund (Gedenkfonds) Donation program allowing pet owners to make contributions in memory of deceased animals, featuring a virtual memorial plaque where entries include the animal's photo, name, and years of birth and death.
• Legacy and Heritage Donations (Legate/Erbschaften) Estate planning service allowing supporters to appoint TIR as heir or make bequests. TIR is exempt from inheritance and gift taxes, ensuring full value of donations supports animal welfare.
• TIR Podcast 'Tier erst Recht!' Bi-weekly podcast featuring discussions on animal rights cases, legal developments, and perspectives on improving animal welfare through legal advocacy, aiming to sensitize and educate the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free legal advice provided to individuals on animal-related legal matters
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• RaiseNowsupportingTechnology or IntegrationRaiseNow provides secure and professional donation processing services for TIR, enabling online donations via SMS, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PostFinance, PayPal, Twint, Apple Pay, and QR payment slips. RaiseNow is PCI DSS certified.
• MailChimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMailChimp is used as the newsletter distribution platform for TIR's 'Friendsmail' newsletter, managed by Rocket Science Group, LLC in the USA. MailChimp is certified under the US-Swiss Privacy Shield agreement.
• ShopifysupportingTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers TIR's online shop for merchandise sales. Processing occurs through Shopify International Limited in Ireland, with data protection ensured through Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers to the USA.
• Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTIR library additions are available through the SLSP (Swiss Library Service Platform) discovery search from January 2026, allowing broader access to the library's collection.
• PostFinancesupportingOthersPostFinance processes payment transactions for TIR donations. Donation accounts available in CHF (IBAN: CH17 0900 0000 8770 0700 7) and EUR (IBAN: CH39 0900 0000 9113 3025 5).
• Raiffeisenbank ZürichsupportingOthersBank account for donations in CHF (IBAN: CH22 8080 8001 5799 0350 4) for TIR's fundraising activities.
• Google (Analytics, Maps, Fonts, reCAPTCHA, Tag Manager, Ads)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTIR uses various Google services for website analytics (Google Analytics with Google Signals), mapping (Google Maps), web fonts (Google Fonts), form security (reCAPTCHA), tag management, and advertising optimization (Google Ads with remarketing).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Animals Australia: Australian animal protection organization running national campaigns on animal welfare legislation and investigations; comparable mission as an advocacy-focused nonprofit operating within a defined national jurisdiction, similar in scale positioning to TIR.

Broad incumbents

• Vier Pfoten (Four Paws International): Global animal welfare organization headquartered in Vienna, active in animal protection campaigns, legislation, and welfare standards; comparable in advocacy and legislative engagement but at far greater scale and geographic breadth than TIR.
• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals): Large international animal rights organization focused on campaigns, investigations, and legislation; a peer in public advocacy and legislative engagement but with a much broader, more controversial public profile than TIR's legal-specialist niche.
• Eurogroup for Animals: Brussels-based pan-European animal welfare advocacy coalition influencing EU legislation and policy; a peer in legislative monitoring and advocacy but operating at EU level rather than a single national jurisdiction.
• Deutscher Tierschutzbund: Germany's largest umbrella animal welfare organization, combining shelters, lobbying, and public education; comparable to TIR in mission but operates at national scale with broader service offerings beyond legal expertise.
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA): UK-based, long-established animal welfare charity combining enforcement, advocacy, and public education; a comparable mission peer in legacy nonprofit animal welfare with broader operational scope than TIR.

Regional players

• Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis: French animal welfare foundation running campaigns, lobbying, and public engagement; comparable as a Francophone European animal welfare nonprofit focused on legislative change, but primarily serving the French market.

Others

• Schweizerische Kynologische Gesellschaft (SKG): Swiss cynology (dog) umbrella organization representing breeders and dog owners on policy, including dog legislation; complementary rather than directly competitive, but addresses overlapping canine-law topics that TIR's cantonal dog law database also covers.

Direct peers

• Schweizer Tierschutz STS: The largest Swiss animal welfare umbrella organization, providing shelter, advocacy, and legal/policy engagement across Switzerland; directly comparable to TIR as a domestic nonprofit competitor operating in the same Swiss animal welfare space.
• Animal Legal Defense Fund: US-based nonprofit focused on animal law through litigation, legislation, and legal education; the closest international analog to TIR in combining legal advocacy, criminal-case tracking, and free legal information for the public.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stiftungtir
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpiHGwnsGdo7Toq5_nciynA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Stiftung.TIR
• Instagraminstagram.com/tierimrecht
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-f%C3%BCr-das-tier-im-recht

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stiftung für das Tier im Recht (TIR) - Wir geben Tieren Recht!