Animal welfare control
Everyone who has an animal is responsible for ensuring that the animal is looked after in such a manner that the animal feels well. However, for different reasons, animals may sometimes not be well looked after.
Where this happens, it is important that there is efficient animal welfare control that can identify cases in which animals come to harm. County administrative boards are primarily responsible for animal welfare control in Sweden.
Animals must enjoy the same, strong animal welfare, regardless of where they are in Sweden. It is therefore important that animal welfare control is good, effective and of the same standard throughout the country.
County administrative boards primarily responsible for animal welfare control
Since 1 January 2009, the county administrative boards bear the main responsibility for animal welfare control in Sweden, i.e. for supervising compliance with animal welfare regulations. They are also responsible for considering applications and issuing permits currently required for some activities involving animals, such as:
- riding schools
- kennel businesses
- dog day care centres
- cat boarding facilities
The county administrative boards also supervise stables and animal facilities to check that these comply with the animal welfare requirements in acts and ordinances.
Swedish Board of Agriculture also responsible
The Swedish Board of Agriculture is also responsible for animal welfare. Its responsibilities include coordination of the animal welfare control undertaken by the county administrative boards, and in connection with this, providing advice and assistance to the county administrative boards when necessary. It also issues binding regulations concerning animal welfare.
Through advice, information and other means, the task of the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the county administrative boards is to make it easier for people who have animals to comply with current animal welfare regulations. These agencies are also required to work to ensure that any crimes against animal welfare regulations are followed up and prosecuted.
The supervisory agencies can intervene
When a person infringes animal welfare regulations, the supervisory agencies can intervene in different ways so as to get that person to follow the regulations. The supervisory agencies can issue the orders and prohibitions necessary for the regulations to be complied with. These orders and prohibitions can be combined with a financial penalty (a type of fine). The supervisory agencies can also decide on rectification at the person's own expense. In some cases, the county administrative boards can also order that animals are to be confiscated by the police. In certain cases, the county administrative boards may also prohibit a person from owning animals. Non-compliance with certain animal welfare regulations is also a punishable offence.
For the supervisory agencies to be able to perform their tasks efficiently, the Animal Welfare Act authorises the supervisory agencies to enter buildings and other facilities containing animals to inspect the animals, perform examinations or take tests from them. The supervisory agencies are also entitled, by law, to obtain information and read the documents and other material necessary for them to carry out their controls. The police are also under an obligation to provide the necessary assistance to the supervisory agencies to enable them to carry out their controls.
