An 81-year-old woman in the canton of Schwyz let her dog bark 41 nights in a row starting in July 2025. When his neighbor claimed him, the answer was a bucket of cold water in mid-November. The court convicted her of voies de fait and multiple violations of the cantonal law on dogs: 2,000 francs fine plus 700 procedural costs. If you don't pay, 20 days in prison. And the dog is still there, presumably.
The Swiss Civil Code says that “everyone must refrain from any excess to the detriment of the neighbor's property.” It's a nice formula that doesn't solve anything on its own. There is no decibel limit for dogs in Switzerland. Judges evaluate on a case-by-case basis: how many hours, what time of night, for how many days, what actual impact it has had. To be able to act, you must document: a diary of the episodes with date and time, testimonies from other neighbors if any. Without evidence, the procedure goes a short way.
With cats it is even more complicated. Having your neighbor's cat pass through your yard is considered normal and should be tolerated. If you cause damage regularly, the landlord may be liable in theory, but winning a lawsuit is rare. Last year, someone who threw stones to scare away other cats was convicted of "exposure to unnecessary stress and an attack on animal dignity." In Switzerland, attacking a cat's dignity has legal consequences. Attacking the neighbor with water as well, although it takes a little longer for the sentence to arrive.
When the conflict escalates to threats or physical aggression, it is already a criminal matter: the complaint must be filed within a maximum period of three months from the fact. Before you get to that, mediation is always recommended, not because it always works, but because winning a trial doesn't change the fact that you're still living next door to the same person.