Swiss animal lovers have founded a political party to represent the interests of their four-legged friends, according to Swiss news agency ATS.

The Animal Party Switzerland was established on Saturday with an economist, a lawyer and the head of the Swiss vegetarian union as founding members, said the agency, quoting Thomas Maerki, who heads the new party.

The party - which plans to contest elections next year - has set up a page on Facebook with the slogan "because animals need a voice", and a pledge to "represent the interests of animals in politics and the economy".

Switzerland boasts strict laws protecting animals. It is illegal to flush goldfish alive down a toilet and owners of some animals such as budgies and hamsters must guarantee that the animals have social companions.

Even sheep and goats must have at least a "visual contact with their fellows".

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.