The dream of a small farm turned out to be different from what mother of three Linda Strand had imagined when she and her family bought a house in Surnadal. Because inside the 400-year-old log house, mice were crawling and crawling in drawers and cupboards. A home-made mouse trap was saved and within two or three days she managed to drown several hundred mice. The question the Supreme Court has now decided is whether the requirement for an animal welfare-responsible killing method should also apply to pests such as mice. And the answer is: no. It was TV2 that reported this first. – I am extremely relieved and happy that I took the case this far. It was worth the fight, says Linda Strand to news. She says she is surprised and has not yet read the verdict. “The Supreme Court emphasizes the situation the woman was in, and that bucket traps have been widely used to get rid of large mouse problems. The regulations also allow for the use of poison, not least by professionals, despite the suffering poison causes the animals. The Supreme Court believes that the woman cannot be punished for using the trap, even if she did not first try the alternatives that the Court of Appeal pointed to,” the judgment states. Linda Strand in Surnadal recently met in the Supreme Court. Now the verdict is clear. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news Used Bamsemums as bait The mouse problem was so bad that the mother of three said she had to wear boots indoors. Neither ordinary mousetraps, high-frequency noises, poison – nor an extra cat – should have produced results. The solution was to lure the mice out with Bamsemums to an empty, rotating soda can. There they fell into an old zinc bucket with antifreeze and water and drowned. Here is the legal text that is disputed if Linda Strand is prosecuted for breaching the Animal Welfare Act §37, compare §12, for having killed animals in a way that is not animal welfare appropriate: “The killing of animals and handling in connection with the killing must be done in an animal welfare appropriate manner manner. Anyone who uses stunning or killing equipment must ensure that it is suitable and maintained. Animals that are owned or otherwise kept in human custody must be stunned before killing. The stunning method must result in loss of consciousness, and the animal must be unconscious from before killing begins and until death occurs. The requirement for anesthesia before killing does not apply if the animal is killed by a method that results in immediate loss of consciousness. After killing has been carried out, it must be ensured that the animal is dead. Euthanasia in an emergency shall, to the greatest extent possible, take place in accordance with the first and second paragraphs. The killing of animals must not take place as an independent element of entertainment or competition. The King can issue further regulations on requirements for the environment, equipment and handling in connection with the killing of animals. The King can make exceptions to the provisions in the second paragraph for animals other than land animals and marine mammals”. The cat Rigfar has not been able to cope with all the mice in the house. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news Won’t accept suggestions Even Linda Strand was so satisfied with the homemade trap that she published a post on Facebook where she advised others. This caused both the police and the animal protection organization Noah to react. The case ended with a proposal of NOK 6,000, which Linda Strand refused to accept. Thus the case ended in the judiciary, and she was sentenced both in the district court and the court of appeal. State Attorney Magne Nyborg represents the prosecution in the mouse case in the Supreme Court. Photo: Marius André Jenssen Stenberg / news Several hundred followed the case There was great interest in the case when the Supreme Court recently aired the case. Around 500 contributors received the treatment electronically. Thor Kleppen Sættem, who is defending Linda Strand, has previously stated to news that hundreds, if not thousands, of people around the country have killed mice in the same way. Similar mouse traps are sold in several shops. The old log house in Surnadal has been the home of many mice in recent years. Now a family of four also lives there. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news Published 26.06.2024, at 14.55 Updated 26.06.2024, at 14.59
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Linda Strand in Surnadal acquitted in the Supreme Court after drowning a mouse in a home-made mouse trap – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
