Prosecuted for gross violation of the Animal Welfare Act

Following a report of concern, the police and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority went to a farm in Trøndelag on 9 January 2023. There, the remains of what was initially estimated to be more than 200 dead pigs were found. The remains were scattered around the farm building and in the manure cellar. 76 surviving pigs had to be euthanized for animal welfare reasons. – Poor living environment The police, together with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, have carried out a number of investigations to find out what caused the pigs’ death, the extent of this and how long it has been going on. The police wrote this in a press release on Thursday. This has resulted in a man, who previously had the status of accused in the case, being prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act. – We believe the defendant has failed to ensure that his herd of pigs has received adequate supervision and care. This is due, among other things, to inadequate access to water and good quality food, inadequate follow-up and treatment of illness, as well as inadequate cleaning and absence of daily supervision, says the prosecutor in the case, police attorney Amund Sand. – Furthermore, we believe that these deficiencies have resulted in a poor living environment for the pigs. 1,500 pigs have died The police believe this has been going on since November 2021, and that around 1,500 pigs have died in this period as a result of a failure in supervision and care. – We believe that the deficiencies in supervision and care have gradually worsened throughout the indictment period, continues police attorney Amund Sand. The approximately 1,500 pigs have died during this period as a result of various forms of failure in animal welfare. It was not possible to determine how many dead pigs there were remains of in the farm building when the police arrived on 9 January this year. But other investigations show that it is about 1,500 pigs. – The accused man has essentially pleaded guilty to the police for the matters covered by the indictment, says the press release from the police. A main hearing in the case is scheduled at Trøndelag district court on 30 October 2023. Three days have been set aside for the case.



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