It is a happy dog that runs freely on the large field in Åsane in Bergen. Finally he gets to be with the other dogs in the doggy nursery. It wasn’t long ago that he wasn’t allowed to come here because he was too violent. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Four-year-old Ante is an Alaskan husky. The dog breed is known for having a lot of energy, and for being a bit dramatic. Nevertheless, it is not the instincts that made Ante unable to behave outside his home. Today, Ariel Midtun (31) stands and regards him as a proud mother. But it was not with her that he spent his first year of life. Ante was someone else’s. Someone who would later be convicted of animal cruelty. – The shock I got when I saw him for the first time was quite terrible. Got boiling water over him Ante started life with a different name, in a different home in one of Bergen’s neighboring municipalities. Little is known about what he experienced in the first year. What is known is what came to light when there was a trial against the former owner in 2021. A harness that was too small and too tight was one of the signs that Ante was not well looked after in his first home. But the event that changed his life took place at the beginning of March 2020. Ante was sleeping locked in his cage when his owner allegedly dropped a kettle with boiling water over him. He had no way to get away, and suffered serious injuries. In the judgment against the former owner, it is stated that the act caused Ante great pain and serious fear. The one-year-old dog was also not taken to a vet after the incident. The owner could not afford it. He therefore suffered for two weeks, until he managed to escape. Then someone found him and got him to a vet. There he was named Ante. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news The former owner insisted that it was all an accident. He pleaded not guilty in court. He said he was on strong medication when it happened, and struggled to remember the incident. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to six months’ unconditional imprisonment for breaching the Animal Welfare Act. He was also banned from owning and being responsible for animals. – I think this is an important judgment from the Hordaland district court, says the police attorney who brought the case to court, Inger Helen Stenevik in the West police district. When the verdict was handed down in 2021, Ante’s former owner was one of 17 people in Norway who were sentenced to conditional or unconditional prison terms for animal cruelty. Today he has served his sentence, and tells via his defender Torkjell Solbø that it was a wake-up call. – He still believes that what happened was an accident, but clearly sees that he has mistreated the dog by not going to the vet straight away. The defense attorney also says that the case has been stressful, and that the former owner is happy to hear how Ante is doing now. A new start Ariel grew up on a farm, surrounded by both dogs and other animals. But she had never had her own dog. In March 2020, she came across a Facebook post from Animal Protection Bergen. They wrote that it was urgent to find a foster home for a medium-sized dog. It was a pandemic, and Ariel had a home office. – I had all the time in the world. So I thought; of course. Many wanted to help, although no one knew anything about the medium-sized dog. In the end it was Ariel who got him. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news At the same time, she received all the baggage he had managed to accumulate during his short life. But it was never appropriate to give him up. – Then he was mine and I had to fix it. The first meeting was special for both. Ante didn’t trust anyone, but Ariel had a hope that in time he would trust her. – I melted a little. My lower lip quivered as soon as I saw him. Ante had extensive damage to his entire back. Ariel applied compresses, salves and bodysuits to his emaciated body. And everything had to come off again when he had to go out to pee. – He just stood there and let me do it. It was as painful as it was nice. I just thought; why of all days do you trust me? I am a human being. There is also a person who has hurt him. A stressed dog Ariel had to admit that it was painful to see Ante at first. The most important thing was to get him back on his feet. As Ante trusted his new owner more and more, his personality emerged. – Then I realized that there is an insane amount to work with here. Then came his stress. The stress showed itself primarily on the trip. Ante could walk perfectly well on a leash, then the roller blind suddenly went down. He circled Ariel and began frantically digging in the ground. Then he started biting what was around him. – Whether it was a stick, my arm or my shoes didn’t matter. It was never aggressive, but the dog was stressed to death. Photo: Privat She quickly learned that it was no use hitting hard against hard. Ante needed to be stroked and talked to calmly, to calm down. At the same time, Ariel had to be determined, because she had gotten herself a big dog. – It’s a husky, so I can’t fool around with him. Separation anxiety The bond between them grew stronger with each passing day. – It was quite fantastic. He realized that I was only there to do him good, and that no one would be mean to him again. Ante had finally found a person he could trust, but quickly became afraid of losing that security. That fear manifested itself through severe separation anxiety. Ariel couldn’t leave the room without Ante freaking out. – It was about training in seconds at a time. I was very much confined to the home for a while. They continued to train. Much had to be improved in order for them to live normally. Ariel had to teach him the simplest commands. And just passing other dogs on a walk was a big challenge. – He had to learn to be a dog again, I felt. Photo: MAX EMANUELSON / MONSTER/news From bully to best friend Although Ante became calmer in the first years with Ariel, he still had problems Ariel could not solve alone. That’s why she decided to sign him up for the news program “From bully to best friend”. – I wanted help to get him a little subdued around more people than just me, and to work more deeply with his stress. Dog trainer Maren Teien Rørvik describes Ante’s story as unimaginably cruel. She had prepared to meet a fearful and cautious dog, but encountered something quite different. – I met a dog who overcompensated a little for what he had experienced previously. He was very happy and social, but very stressed. Photo: MAX EMANUELSON / MONSTER/news Maren says that Ante had the most important development with Ariel. Her task was to take the development a little further. – We made great progress in calming the stress and separation anxiety. But Ariel will probably continue to have to make some sacrifices to make everything work. Never considered giving up Last year, the police received, or created themselves, 502 reports for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. When the perpetrator is punished, the goal is for the punishment to have a preventive effect, explains police attorney Stenevik. – Both when it comes to the perpetrator, but also in general. So that others refrain from criminal acts against animals. It is not easy to take in an abused dog. Some give up, and the dog is relocated further. In the worst case, the dog is killed. Ariel herself never considered giving up, but she understands that some people do. Especially if the dog is aggressive. She herself was advised to think about it, when she struggled the most with Ante. Still, she could only think that he deserved time to get better. Today, she does not describe the first years with Ante as demanding, but as a period in which she learned a lot about herself. – I have had to be much more patient than I am used to. I have become a better person because of it. She is moved by talking about the dog, which she several times refers to as her whole life. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news After Ariel and Ante returned from series filming, their lives have changed greatly. Ariel has become a mother for the first time, and Ante has become a big brother. A complicated birth meant that the two did not see each other for ten days. Never before had they been apart for so long. When they saw each other again, Ante first tested the limits, but quickly calmed down. – He has an off switch now, he didn’t have that before. Ante has managed to be big brother for a few days. So far he has been calm towards his new little sister, says Ariel. Now she is looking forward to mountain trips with a bear tit, and skiing and sledding in the winter. Ante and little sister will get to explore nature together. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news While the newborn girl spends her first weeks at home, Ante is in the dog nursery three times a week. That he is welcome there and can get along with other dogs says a lot about his journey. – I am really amazed at how far he has come. I’m proud that none of us gave up. It hasn’t been easy, but the bond we have now is absolutely magical. – Would you do it again? – One hundred percent, without doubt. It was worth every minute. Watch the episode about Ante and Ariel. Hello! Do you have input on this case, or tips on what my next case might be about?
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The dog Ante was mistreated but Ariel saved him. Now he is in From bully to best friend – news Vestland
