The cat Maja swallowed to death in her home when her owner went to the hospital. She named the law lex Maja, which means that health care personnel may notify the county administrative board if they suspect that animals are being neglected by their owner, which SVT News reported before.
- Often it is the animal owner who contacts us. Some people find it difficult to get the money together, and unfortunately it also affects the animals, says Siw Ågren.
So is it not always about deliberate misconduct?
- It is important to understand that it is not always about malice and evil. But as an animal owner, you are responsible for the animal's well being. Unfortunately, it is often the veterinary insurance that many end up paying when the economy is bad, and then it becomes a further problem for the pet owner to pay the entire total cost of care himself instead of just a deductible.
Siw Ågren also believes that there are many private individuals can do to help the animals.
- You can see if an animal is left in a hot car or if the owner behaves violently. But also other physical signs of lack of supervision such as the animal being lean or having untreated injuries, such as wounds and lameness. Every pair of eyes that help can mean a lot to the animal and everyone can report neglect to the county administrative board. (See more in the fact box below)
The neglect differsAnimal care can vary depending on what it is for animals, says Johan Beck-Friis, secretary general of the Swedish Animal Protection Association.
- There is a big difference when it comes to pets and production animals. The production animals are used more for economic purposes and the pets are our company, he says and continues:
- Pet management can be about getting too little food, or being alone when we work. When it comes to production animals it may be that they are overworked in different ways - that they are kept on too small a surface or are covered with fertilizers.
According to Johan Beck-Friis, we are generally familiar with animal welfare issues in Sweden.
- We generally have a high level of awareness in Sweden when it comes to animal welfare, which is very positive. This means that you get early reports of cases where things went wrong. Commitment is good in Sweden, but the knowledge varies from person to person, he says.
What do you think can be improved in terms of knowledge?
- Knowledge of different behavioral patterns of animals. The animals are not a variant of us humans, but they all have different conditions - this applies to both pets and production animals, says Johan Beck-Friis.