It started as a normal walk in the neighborhood on Tuesday last week. Vilma was busy sniffing and digging in the grass outside a housing association in the center of Tønsberg, when she suddenly started wailing. The owner immediately noticed that something must be wrong. – She was in pain, says Michels. This screw stuck in the paw of the labrador Vilma. Photo: Tom Ole Buaas / news It would turn out that Vilma had good reason to react the way she did. There was a screw sticking out of one of her paws. The owner managed to remove the screw, but the dog started bleeding from the paw. – She was clearly in pain when she moved on, Michels tells news. Wanted to keep animals away from the lawn When later in the day she got confirmation that the screws had been deliberately placed to keep animals away, she decided to report the matter to the police. After Michels told her neighbors about the incident, she found out that a named person had placed screws in pits on the site on purpose. This is to prevent animals from digging holes in the lawn in a common area. The person confirms the action to news, and says it was done to protect the lawn. The person does not wish to comment further on the matter. In total, Michels has removed 34 screws from the pits. 34 screws were buried in four holes. Photo: Tom Ole Buaas / news The dog has been visited by a vet afterwards, but is not said to be seriously injured. The owner is no less provoked for that reason. – This could have gone much worse, she believes. – It will be like a baby. Vilma means everything to me, says the dog owner. More incidents It is not the first time that animals have been injured by sharp objects as a result of a deliberate act. Last week, pieces of sausage with nails were discovered along a popular walking path in Sarpsborg. In 2017, a dog owner in Trondheim found the same thing that Holmberg found in Sarpsborg – a sausage full of nails. Last year, a dog in Alta ate a grilled sausage filled with broken glass. The animal protection organization NOAH has reported several such incidents in recent years. This is confirmed by Siri Martinsen, head of the organisation. Siri Martinsen, leader of the animal protection organization NOAH. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen – It is very important that people send in tips to the police, or to us that we can pass on. All tips can mean something, even if you don’t think so. This can cause tragic injuries, not only for animals, but also for children, Martinsen said when she was interviewed about the incident in Sarpsborg. – Frustrated Knut Morten Johansen, committed dog owner from Skien, is one of several who have allowed themselves to be provoked by stories about animals being injured. He was also involved in the work to get an animal police in place when he was state secretary in the Ministry of Justice from 2018-2019. – I get frustrated, but also very angry, he says. Knut Morten Johansen, committed dog owner from Skien. Photo: Nils Skumsvoll If someone puts out a piece of sausage with a nail, he has no doubt that the dog can suffer major injuries. – A dog that comes across a piece of sausage swallows it before the owner has time to react, even if it is on a leash. This is very serious, says Johansen, who has also been involved in the matter on social media in recent days. Kari Nærum, head of the animal police in the Sørøst police district, does not want to comment on the case from Tønsberg until there is a report in the case.
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Put out screws to keep animals off the lawn – the dog Vilma was injured – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
