Susy Utzinger, born in 1969, has been actively involved in animal welfare for decades, especially in the pet and domestic animal sector. For fifteen years, she headed animal rescue organisations throughout Switzerland and their emergency centres, drove animal rescue vehicles and set up two Swiss animal shelters. As a freelance journalist and animal photographer, she regularly publishes papers on animal welfare issues in various Swiss and German media and gives lectures on a regular basis. In 1993 the committed animal rights activist was awarded the Elisabeth Rentschler Foundation's Animal Welfare Prize, followed over the years by other animal rights prizes and awards from various countries.
In 1993 she also completed an ethology internship in the Wolf Park in Indiana (USA). Various specialist courses and further training followed. In 1996 Susy Utzinger completed a two-year study as an animal psychological consultant at the I.E.T. in Hirzel. After the foundation of the organization "TierRettungsDienst - Leben hat Vortritt" in 1993, the Zurich native started in 2000 with the foundation of the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare (SUST) to work increasingly for quality in animal welfare projects at home and abroad.
Susy Utzinger is currently Managing Director of the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare (based in Kollbrunn) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation "TierRettungsDienst - Leben hat Vortritt" in Winkel near Bülach.
The animal protection book "Heimatlos - Tagebuch einer Tierschützerin"
In the book "Heimatlos - Tagebuch einer Tierschützerin" Susy Utzinger tells about her fascination for animals, her great commitment to animal protection, but also about her difficult childhood. In impressive stories she reviews the past twenty years, gives insights into her tireless pioneering work at home and abroad and reminds us of countless sad, touching and happy stories with her protégés. It does not forget to look also critically behind the window blinds of the today's animal protection; a topic, which experienced a fundamental change in the past years. When the 48-year-old is asked today about her most important findings in connection with serious animal protection, she answers: "Sustainable animal protection is more than just a bowl of water and enough food; it means above all a lot of work, discipline and perseverance. And so the founder of the "Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare" tirelessly trains specialists, optimises animal shelters and is involved in countless projects, including in Romania and Hungary. The Swiss woman never let herself be dissuaded from her mission, neither by professional setbacks nor by private strokes of fate. The positive result: Together with her colleagues and volunteers, she has already made it possible for tens of thousands of animals to live a species-appropriate and better life.
You can buy the book in the trade or order here (available only in German): www.susyutzinger.ch/Shop