Following significant pressure from animal welfare organizations, including Animal Protection Norway, animal crime units have now been established in all of the country’s police districts.
Give animals the protection they are entitled to
Following significant pressure from animal welfare organizations, including Animal Protection Norway, animal crime units have now been established in all of the country’s police districts. This is a step in the right direction toward providing animals with the protection they are entitled to. We observe that this has had a certain effect on animal crime cases, as more cases are being processed through the judicial system and some cases have resulted in stricter sentencing compared to previously.
Nevertheless, we see that in many police districts, resources are scarce and there are too few positions dedicated to this work. Every year, Animal Protection Norway reports a number of cases to the police, and an excessively large proportion of these are dismissed.
We are fighting for greater allocations to the animal crime units
Animal Protection Norway works to increase political awareness regarding the importance of taking animal crime cases seriously. We advocate for larger appropriations for animal crime units so that they can investigate more violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The funds must be earmarked for animal crime cases, so that these cases do not have to compete for financial resources on an equal footing with all other cases. In addition, we want closer cooperation between the police and other public agencies, such as the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the health service and customs. Good communication between such agencies is crucial to be able to detect offenses and animal crime as early as possible.
