– You get a lump in the throat when you know that the everyday life of these dogs has been so tragic, says Åsne Constanse Haugen. She and Ingrid Anne Urdalen run the kennel Nipnatten in Hovin. They live only a few kilometers away from the farm where the police and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority recently found 29 dogs in very poor condition. 14 of them were killed this week. The dogs lived on this farm, which is now in custody with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Haugen says it is good that such cases come to light. According to TA, it was a grass and scrub fire in April that made the police aware of the animal husbandry in Hovin. Feared stray dogs The couple has long been concerned about the dogs in question. They say they contacted the Norwegian Food Safety Authority about the conditions on the farm at the end of December 2021. news has been given access to the content of the women’s notice. It says, among other things: “It flows with clutter and rubbish all over the farm and large areas near the farm. (…) The dogs stand on the ground, which means that they step a lot in mud and are very wet ». They also expressed strong concern about the dogs’ health. Åsne Constanse Haugen and Ingrid Anne Urdalen have kennels in the area and have reacted to the dog team on the farm in Hovin. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Do not dare to drive dog teams in the area Based on their own experiences and expertise about dog keeping, the women are convinced that the animals were not well. – We train dogs and have ridden a lot of dog teams in the area. We saw that it was not good where the dogs were, and that they were very loose. We did not dare to drive there anymore, says Urdalen, who also reacts to the fact that there was neither water nor electricity in the building. – These are not polar dogs, this. They have been outside all winter without a dog house and only on a chain in a kind of dog farm. Anyone would have understood that these dogs do not feel the way they should, Urdalen believes. The case has become a major topic of conversation in Hovin. – Of course, in small settlements like this it will be. The 29 dogs lived on this farm. The 15 dogs that are still alive will not return to the owner, according to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news Can not comment on report of concern The Norwegian Food Safety Authority states that they can not comment on whether or when they have received reports of concern in this case due to a duty of confidentiality. They also do not comment on what they have done in the case or when they became aware of the conditions on the farm. On a general basis, acting head of department Gry Ingeborg Bø for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in Telemark states that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority receives more than 12,000 reports of concern each year. It is considered which cases should be followed up further. Charged with violation of the Animal Welfare Act The woman who owns the dogs is now charged with violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Another person is suspected of complicity in a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Police attorney Bjørn Bakko said on Wednesday that the dog owner had not pleaded guilty in interrogation. At a press conference the same day, it was revealed that close to 30 dogs had been taken into custody after an action. The police described terrible conditions for the animals on the small farm, which have no running water. The dogs had few opportunities for shade, in addition there was a lot of feces in the area. In some places there were screws and nails made of materials. There was also poor fencing on the site. A dog had open wounds during an inspection, and was therefore decided to be killed on the spot. The dog owner told news earlier this week that she thinks the animals have been well with her, but that the conditions were not perfect. She has said that the dogs should be part of a project with guard dogs on farms in South Africa. Dogs placed in foster homes After the action, the dogs were placed in temporary foster homes, which ended with drama in Porsgrunn earlier this week. Then two dogs escaped from their temporary home. They attacked a random dog and her owner. One dog was shot shortly afterwards, while the other was first stunned and later killed after a major police operation in the streets of Porsgrunn. Got banned from keeping animals in Sweden The owner of the dogs has previously been convicted of a serious violation of the Animal Welfare Act for keeping sheep in another place in the country. In 2020, she was sentenced to 120 days in prison. According to the verdict, the sheep did not get enough food, and injured and sick animals did not receive treatment, among other things. The judgment from Glåmdal District Court states: “In an aggravating direction, it must be emphasized that the defendant has an education in animal welfare and that she has taught sheep farming, and despite this failed to follow up the orders from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority sufficiently. It is also aggravating that she has chosen to continue with sheep farming despite the fact that she has been banned from keeping animals in Sweden ». She pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the verdict, she was not allowed to own, keep, care for or supervise production animals such as sheep or goats in connection with food until further notice. She has previously been banned from keeping animals in Sweden. – How can a dog owner have almost 30 dogs with her, when she has previously been convicted of violating the Animal Welfare Act in 2020 for keeping sheep? – We can not comment on whether we have received reports of concern related to named individuals out of consideration for the statutory duty of confidentiality. On a general basis, we can say that if you are deprived of the right to have animals, it does not mean that you are deprived of the right to keep all types of animals, says Bø in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
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Notified the Norwegian Food Safety Authority about the conditions at the dog farm in Hovin half a year ago – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
