Help animals

There is much to do in the Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation

The team of 5 part-time employees has to cope with a whole mountain of animal welfare work at the SUST office.

Optimization of animal shelters at home and abroad

In order to optimize an animal shelter and to bring it on the way of professional animal assistance, usually years of cooperation and active company are necessary. Sometimes the experts of the Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation organize a complete rebuilding of an animal shelter, they provide first aid for animals, train experts and carry out neutering and aid campaigns. Negotiations with the authorities and education of the population are also part of such missions.

Information leaflets and brochures for animal lovers and pet owners

Our leaflets are very popular, are often described in the press and often requested by animal lovers and owners. Writing such brochures and making them available to pet owners is one of the many tasks of the SUST office.

Collection of material: Reception and distribution of animal welfare material

In some cases, we can deliver whole truckloads of urgently needed animal utensils as well as pallet-wise animal food to various animal welfare institutions at home and abroad. We also reorganise and pass on technical equipment such as telephones, computers, faxes and material donations such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines as well as cleaning agents and detergents help in large steps.

Animal welfare consulting for animal welfare organisations or private individuals active in animal welfare / Assistance in the development of animal welfare projects

Of course, with the animal utensils from our material collection campaign not only simple materials change their owners, but also an infinite amount of expertise. Each time the material is handed over, the conditions in the individual homes and the status of the various projects were discussed anew and the best ways and solutions for the future were sought together.
Negotiations with authorities, ways out of disputes with neighbours, strategies for informing the population, plans for buildings and conversions of animal shelters, the improvement of animal welfare, possibilities for lower care and treatment costs, the use of volunteers and much more are looked for, discussed and fortunately also found in our foundation on a daily basis.

Individual animal welfare cases

Every day we receive phone calls, letters and e-mails from private individuals asking for help with a pet problem. Wherever possible, we will answer these requests in detail. Often, however, a "remote diagnosis" of the problem is not possible and we help the person seeking advice by providing specialist addresses. Neutering campaigns and/or the capture and neutering of individual feral cats are also included in the category "individual animal welfare cases". Here we organize the capture of the animals and take over the neutering costs for the animals.

Broad information on topics relevant to animal welfare by the media

The important media and information campaigns of SUST concerning animal welfare topics regularly meet with great interest. In addition to various TV and radio interviews, SUST's animal welfare reports and statements can also be found in print and online media.

 

 

Corinne Frana

Project Manager

With SUST since:        
June 2016

Training:       
FBA animal transport, further training in various animal welfare-related areas such as cynology, cat behaviour, breeding, trade, veterinary topics, animal handling, etc., export trade specialist

Experience:         
Operations and operations management in Switzerland and abroad (Romania, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Egypt), management of SUST veterinary consultations, operational analyses and change management, project and team management, brand manager in the private sector

Responsibilities:   
Social work for animals SOFT, support for animal welfare projects in Western/Southern Europe, Swiss politics, animal trade, sponsorships

Hobbies and interests:
Sophie, Norway, languages, current world affairs, crochet monster to relax and switch off

 

Lisa Volkart

Administrative staff member

At SUST since:
February 2010

Training:
lateral entry by business school (2010), accounting clerk (2012),
Baker - confectioner

Experience:

- 2010 - 2017 Warehouse support
- 2017 to present Office employee
- Various modules of the animal welfare specialist course
- STSB further training on the topics of dogs, cats, wild animals, hedgehogs, fish, cows, law

Responsible at SUST for:
back office, support for the SUST Academy, support for volunteers, assistance with mailings and events
 
Hobbies and interests:
my family, my aquarium, nature

 

 

Myrto Joannidis

Communication & Fundraising, Information & Education

With SUST since:
January 2022
Education:
CAS Creationship ZHdK, BCI Certificate (Radio), VHS Certificate English, Polydesign 3D
Experience:
"Animal welfare specialist" modules (Kompanima), various webinars and internal training courses (SUST)
SUST missions abroad (assistance spay campaigns, preparation and aftercare, gofer), gofer CatForce missions
When I'm on assignment, I help out where I can and am always learning.
Communication & text expertise (DoryHealth AG.)
OnAir Promotion & Imaging Producer Layout/Audio Packaging (Radio 24, Virgin, Argovia, Pilatus, FM1)
Singer / front woman Subzonic and solo project
Stage: "die kleine Niederdorf Oper" (SPOCK Productions)
Presenter Radio 24 (TA Media AG, later AZ Medien)
Presenter and Station Voice (Virus / SR DRS (now SRF) Basel)
Promotion Field Manager (SonyMusic)
Polydesign construction (BOST-Productions)
Polydesign project management (Lichtblick Ringger and Guazzone)
Various internships and internal further training SR DRS (now SRF),
Graphics/Layout: Illustrator (GK), Photoshop (GK), Silhouette, Canva,
Radio & audio production: Digas, Digimedia, Dabis, Pro Tools & Presonus Studio One, etc.
Video: AVID, iMovie, Canva
Presentation of bicycle races (IG-Offene Rennbahn Oerlikon)
Driving license in the categories: A, B, D1, BE, D1E, PBT/121 Taxi and limousine service (self-employed and 7x7 VIP)
Podkasten: own podcast and audio productions
myRINGO.ch (own jewelry label) Various diplomas such as Art Clay Silver Diploma
Vocal coach (instrumentor.ch, female funk project)
Dr. Rock: band guide in collaboration with "Joiz" and "Action Suisse Music"
Radio plays DRS1 (editorial department „Kinder“)
Various columns (Blick, 20min, metropol)
I have also trained as a parachuting jumpmaster and crossed the Atlantic without a motor.

Responsible at SUST for: communication, fundraising, education and information, #DeinLikeSeinLeid = online animal welfare
Hobbies and interests: Online and offline with horse and dog - a lot and with a lot of pleasure. I am interested in media production and creative storytelling across all topics, medias and channels. My great love is audio, my "product" is always communication. For professional reasons and out of personal curiosity, I have constantly expanded the media in which I can convey content. I draw inspiration from real life. Anything else would be hypocrisy. True to the motto: If someone goes on a journey, they can tell a story.
That's why I'm enthusiastically mobile with my van, bike and hiking boots. But I do actually lie around from time to time (usually under a motor vehicle or a drone - and not just for repair purposes).

 
Phone:
 

Nicole Amigo

Employee food aid / animal shelter support

With SUST since: 

January 2022

Education:     

Geomatician EFZ

Animal keeper EFZ

Training as a vocational trainer ZBW St.Gallen 2019

Further education:

SUST: 

Veterinary medical expertise 2018

Handling course 2022

Internal further training course in animal welfare 2023

SKG courses:

BM 1 Law 2020

BM 6 Handling / Care 2020

BM 8 Behavior observation 2020

BM 11 Keeping multiple dogs 2020

BM 12 Dog transportation, travel & excursions with dogs 2020

VATS: Training course:

Course 2: 2022 / 2023 Module 4 - Participation Systematically dealing with animal welfare situations

Course 2: 2022 / 2023 Module 5 - Competent advice on animal welfare issues

Experience:          

10 years of experience as an animal keeper in Swiss shelters, several months

collaboration in various dog shelters in Romania, participation in two

SUST - Missions abroad in Romania, internship at Winti Vets

Responsible at SUST for:    

support for animal shelters in Switzerland, "Cat Force" intervention manager, intervention manager Working days in Switzerland, SUST project collaborator - Veterinary consultations (SOFT)

Hobbies and interests: 

Photography, gardening, cooking, nature excursions

Phone:
052 202 69 69
 

Regula Bieri

Administrative assistant / Project manager

With the SUST since:
June 2008

Education:       
Secondary school certificate

Further training:
Animal welfare specialist course modules 2 - 5 (VATS), dog expression behavior (SUST/Esther Schalke), aggression in dogs (SUST/Esther Schalke), hunting behavior (SUST/Esther Schalke), first aid for dogs and cats (various/SUST), First aid for horses (SUST), internal and external parasites (SUST), media training (SUST), basic veterinary knowledge (SUST), behavioral training course for dog owners (TSCHiGi-School, Marlen Brandenberg)

Experience:         
Assignments in Italy, Spain and Hungary, accompaniment on sponsorship trip to Romania

Responsibilities:   
General administrative work at SUST head office, project management for "Cat Neutering Switzerland" and "SaveMyLife", start-up sponsorship program

Hobbies and interests:
Dogs, photography, truffle hunting, TrueCrime
 

 

Susy Utzinger

Managing Director

Susy Utzinger, born in 1969, has been actively working for decades for the protection of animals, especially in the domestic animal and pet sector. For fifteen years, she managed national animal rescue organisations and their emergency centres, drove animal rescue vehicles and built up two Swiss animal shelters. As a freelance journalist and animal photographer, she regularly publishes papers on topics relevant to animal welfare in various Swiss and German media and also regularly gives lectures. In 1993, the committed animal welfare activist was awarded the animal welfare prize of the Elisabeth Rentschler Foundation, and over the years she has received further animal welfare prizes and awards from various countries.

In 1993 she also completed an ethology internship at Wolf-Park in Indiana (USA). Various specialist courses and advanced training courses followed. In 1996 Susy Utzinger completed a two-year study as an animal psychology consultant at I. E. T. in Hirzel. After the foundation of the Zurich-based organisation "TierRettungsDienst - Leben hat Vortritt", the foundation Susy Utzinger Stiftung für Tierschutz (SUST) was founded in 2000 with which she promotes itensified the quality of animal welfare projects in Switzerland and abroad.

 
Read more about Susy Utzinger  
 
 
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