Extremely lean cows, animals that are forced to wade and lie in their own feces. This could be seen in this week's Assignment Review, which was done in collaboration with SVT Nyheter Gävleborg. Since the program was broadcast, the reactions have been many and during Friday, for the first time, the Minister of Rural Affairs Jennie Nilsson (S) stated.

In a post on Facebook, Rural Minister Jennie Nilsson (S) writes that she cannot comment on individual cases, but that the pictures were terrible. In an e-mail to SVT, the minister writes that she is proud of Swedish animal husbandry and that compared with many other EU countries, Sweden has strong animal welfare legislation.

Is animal husbandry sufficient?

“It goes without saying that you could always want more control when it comes to protecting animals. Unfortunately, however, there are always those individuals who do not follow the rules that exist. It is extremely tragic when you discover serious animal welfare problems, ”Nilsson writes.

Are the penalties for such crimes sufficient at present?

“In June 2018, the government decided on a review of the penal code. The assignment includes, among other things, considering whether the scale of penalties for animal cruelty should be sharpened and considering whether it is more effective to sanction certain offenses that are less serious in their nature with penalties other than penalties, such as penalties. "

The County Administrative Board considers that they acted correctly in the follow-up of a farm, even though the animals did not measure well as you could see in the pictures. Are the rules too unclear?

“In individual cases, it is up to the responsible authorities to assess the situation and make decisions on possible measures. Their assessment is based on the information they have and can obtain. For example, based on what they see and hear in connection with inspections and in contact with notifiers and keepers. I have full confidence that they do it responsibly. However, the rules are clear. There are several sharp tools to use as animal care as well as animal bans. "

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