Swiss ban on St Bernard photos in Zermatt

Zermatt tourists will no longer be able to take photos with St Bernard dogs. Image by Jon Rawlinson / CC BY 2.0

Tourists will no longer be able to take photos with St Bernard dogs in the ski resort town of Zermatt in Switzerland after the municipality imposed a ban on Thursday. Animal rights activists raised concerns about the welfare of the dogs and the Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) association had also filed complaints for years. A investigative report by SAP found that the dogs were forced to stand still and pose for photos for hours, were tied up and went without food and water for long periods of time. Read more: thelocal.ch