Animal shelters are often the last resort for failed human-animal relationships.

Despite this important social role, animal shelters remain marginalized to this day. They receive little public support and little attention – if they do, we only see images of sad, caged animals in our minds, hoping they might still find a home. But there's more to it than that.

The book "Tierheime. Ein Zuhause auf Zeit” (Animal Shelters – A Temporary Home) is the first thorough investigation into the life in Swiss animal shelters. With reports and photo essays, it describes how animals are taken in, cared for, and rehomed, what everyday life is like, and the daily challenges faced by the animal caretakers.

A look at animal shelters inevitably touches on other major themes in our complex relationships with animals. The book addresses these issues in the form of short essays: starting with domestication, the history of pet care, trade and the unequal treatment of farm animals and pets, and ending with the question of how a fairer relationship between humans and animals is possible in the future.