Introduction: In Sweden, 15-20% of the 289,000 dairy cows are housed in tie-stalls. Since cows typically lie down for 8–16 hours a day, lying comfort is a keyaspect of animal welfare. Hard or poorly maintained surfaces can lead todiscomfort, injuries, lameness and soiling. It is the animal welfare inspectors ofthe County Administrative Boards who carry out official controls to ensure thatthe animal welfare regulations concerning the cows’ lying areas are compliedwith by dairy producers. This study was conducted to investigate whether animalwelfare inspectors apply a consistent approach when assessing bedding materialfor dairy cows in tie-stalls, and whether their previous experience of inspectingtie-stalls influences these assessments.

Methods: Using three photographs and accompanying brief information aboutthe situation that prevailed at the moment, the inspectors assessed cleanliness inlying areas, dryness, and adaptation to the animals and barn environment, inaccordance with the checklists and guidelines developed on the basis of theanimal welfare legislation.

Results and discussion: The results indicate divergent assessments among the89 respondents, particularly regarding bedding quality, quantity, and lying areacomfort. Assessments were especially challenging when bedding was limited orwhen rubber mats were present. Statistically significant differences were foundbetween inspectors’ assessments and their levels of experience, measured byyears of service, and the number of official controls conducted. However, thesedifferences were scattered, suggesting that experience explains only part of thevariability and that other factors or random variation may also contribute. Thisinconsistency can result in uneven enforcement of legal requirements and fostera sense of unfairness among producers. Achieving consensus in assessmentsamong inspectors is essential not only for ensuring compliance with animalwelfare legislation but also for maintaining fairness and trust in the official animalwelfare control system.

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with dog-related injuries by analysing data collected from 5908 patients seeking treatment at healthcare facilities in Skaraborg district, Sweden, over the years 2001–2016.

Methods: To describe factors associated with dog-related injuries, we analysed variables from four categories: people, that is, characteristics (gender and ages) of the patients who were injured; the circumstances in which the injuries occurred; the causes and types of injuries caused by dogs (injury mechanisms); and whether the injuries resulted in hospitalisation.

Results: Most injuries occurred in residential settings (58%). Half of the reported injuries (n=2954) were due to dog bites, with the same number of patients who were injured in non-bite-related events, comprising a second group. Injury mechanisms for dog-related injuries other than bites varied, as did locations where the various injuries occurred. However, slightly more than half of all non-bite-related injuries were caused by falls, especially falls on the same level involving slips and trips (n= 831, 55.3% of all fall-related injuries). Dog bites were the primary injury cause for younger groups, while non-bite injuries were the leading injury cause for adults aged 45 years and older.

Conclusions: The study showed that men and younger age groups were more likely to be injured via dog bites, while older women were more likely to be injured by tripping or falling over dogs. These findings imply that separate injury prevention strategies are required to address the different factors associated with both injury types.

Dog-on-dog aggression is a societal concern and a significant animal welfare issue. This survey study investigated 130 cases of intraspecific aggression, of which 14.6% were performed by a pack of dogs (2-4 dogs). The victim dogs were 82% of small and medium size, and as the severity of the injury increased so did the number of small dogs. The majority of attacks happened daytime in the summer, in public places. An experienced female dog owner was most often the owner of the victim dog. The dog-on-dog attacks were 96% perceived as unprovoked and 82.3% performed by an unknown dog. In 43.8% of the cases, the attacking dog failed to respond to the victim dog’s submission signals.

It was the owner/caregiver of the victim dogs who identified the attacking dog, and in 25% of the 130 cases, the victim dog owners identified the attacking dog as a crossbred. The attacking dogs were 61.5% Bull type terriers, including their mixes. Among the victim dogs, Companion and Toy dogs, Retrievers as well as Terriers other than Bull type terriers, were overrepresented. The major difference in the distribution of the attacking dog types in comparison to the victim dog types suggests that they are distinctly different populations and that the severe intraspecific aggression shown by the attacking dog breeds is a pathological condition.

Introduction and purpose: Wild carnivore predation on Swedish livestock has been meticulously recorded, but dog attacks on livestock tend to be overlooked. This study aimed to map the nature of dog attacks on livestock.

Material and methods: Data was collected from Swedish news media articles, Rovbase records in the region Västra Götaland, and electronic online surveys of farmers and official inspectors. In addition to descriptive statistics, monthly indices of dog attacks on livestock were calculated using data from Rovbase and news media articles.

Results: Half of the inspectors had inspected livestock attacked by dogs. Dogs accounted for 3.8% of all predator attacks inspected in Västra Götaland 2004–2024. Most dog attacks occurred during summer and fall. Sheep were most often subjected to dog attack, followed by horses. Sheep were most often attacked by dogs on pastures, hens in their enclosed barnyard, and horses when ridden or driven. The attacking dogs were most often unknown, loose, or unsupervised.

Discussion: Dog attacks impact both animal welfare and societal interests. The farmers expressed emotional distress after the dog attacks. Misidentification can worsen wolf-related conflicts and misdirect public funds, while livestock owners may face economic losses despite the dog owner’s sole responsibility. Further research is needed to assess dog attacks on livestock nationwide. However, targeted measures such as predator-deterrent fencing, prolonged mandatory leashing of dogs, and enhanced monitoring of grazing livestock during hunting seasons could already be implemented.

Den här boken behandlar ett rättsområde som ofta saknas i läroböcker om allmän förvaltningsrätt, nämligen djurskydd och samhällsskydd mot faror från djur. Dit hör bland annat djurskyddslagstiftning och djurplågeri, lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter, epizootilagen och zoonoslagen. Även regelverk gällande arbete med djur berörs.

Djur och rätt är främst avsedd att vara ett hjälpmedel på kurser om djurskydds- och hundlagstiftning, men kan också vara intressant för anställda i domstolar som söker prejudikat och andra viktiga rättskällor inom djurområdet samt handläggare och andra aktörer inom Polismyndigheten, länsstyrelserna och kommunerna.

Kompendiet riktar sig i första hand till studenter på djurskyddskurserna, men kan också vara av intresse för myndigheter som handlägger djurskyddsärenden och/eller ärenden enligt lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter. Den första upplagan uppkom med anledning av de många ändringarna i lagstiftningen samt i ansvarsfördelningen i vissa frågor som berör djur. Länsstyrelsen övertog bl. a. huvudmannaskapet av lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter från Polismyndigheten 1 juni 2018. Länsstyrelsen i Norrbottens län bemyndigades meddela de föreskrifter som behövs för verkställigheten av de uppgifter som länsstyrelserna ska utföra enligt lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter. Den 18 juni 2018 började Länsstyrelsen i Norrbottens läns föreskrifter till lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter 2018:29 gälla, men de ersattes av Länsstyrelsen i Norrbottens läns föreskrifter till lagen (2007:1150) om tillsyn över hundar och katter (25FS 2022:2 A1) den 1 februari 2022. Länsstyrelsen verkställer idag sina egna beslut om omhändertagande enligt djurskyddslagen, och administrerar de uppkomna kostnaderna. Förvaltningslagen började gälla 1 juli 2018, djurskyddslagen 1 april 2019 och kontrollförordningen, (EU) 2017/625, 14 december 2019.

Den tredje upplagan av kompendiet utgör en omarbetning av andra upplagan från 2020. Det har införts viktiga ändringar i lagstiftning som berör djur. Till exempel trädde grovt djurplågeri i kraft 1 juli 2022, och sedan 1 januari 2023 råder märknings- och registreringskrav på katter födda 1 januari 2008 och senare.

Cattle and sheep horns have the potential to grow in such a way that the horn bends toward the animal's head and, if left untreated, may penetrate the skin, causing pressure, pain, and suffering. According to the Swedish Animal Welfare Act, animals must be looked after in a way that prevents ingrown horns; otherwise, the person responsible for the animal may be prosecuted. Here, we present a review of 32 legal cases that occurred in Sweden between 2008 and 2022 for which the charge involved horn-related anomalies in cattle or sheep. The aim being to investigate the nature of these horn-related anomalies and the circumstances under which they occur. Of the legal cases, 53% were discovered during official animal welfare control on farms and 44% at an abattoir during pre-slaughter inspection. These include extreme injuries, e.g. both horns penetrating the periosteum into the skull bone, or a horn penetrating into the eye or oral cavity. The reasons offered by the accused for failing to detect animals with horn-related anomalies included that the animal appeared normal, that it was long-haired, shy, or hard to reach, or that the horns had not undergone gradual growth but had accidentally or suddenly penetrated the skin. Overall, 81% of the cases led to convictions; however, none of these resulted in imprisonment. Reasons for acquittals included insufficient crime description or evidence as to how the horn-related anomaly occurred or of the animal being exposed to suffering. A number of recommendations are provided that could help limit the occurrence of ingrown horns.

We present a first criminological insight into the Act (2007:1150) on the supervision of dogs and cats in terms of reporting and prosecution statistics, against the background of statistics on authority decisions based on this law, appeals of authority decisions and statistics from Folksam and the central dog register of the Swedish Board of  Agriculture. The number of prosecutions under the Supervision Act in the district courts is 30-46 prosecutions per year between 2004 and 2021. Women account for 65% of dog ownership and for 42% of offenses against the Supervision Act. The proportion of reports received that led to a decision by the County Administrative Boards varied from zero to approx. 30% in 2020 and 2021. Of the 13 persons who died due to dog-related injuries 1998-2021 seven were women, in the age groups 45 and older, while of 6 180 patients who required inpatient care for dog-related injuries 2001-2021 made up 648 children of 0-4 years old.Introduction of the current Supervision Act in 2008 resulted in an increased load on administrative courts, while  criminal cases in the district courts have been at about the same level as before. Transfer of responsibility for the Supervision Act from the Swedish Police Authority to the County Administrative Boards in 2018 increased the workload of the administrative courts even more. The criminal cases that are settled in the district courts no longer deal with first-time incidents where bite-prone dogs have caused property or personal damage or considerable inconvenience, but recurrences where society already had intervened through authority decisions, reflecting ineffectiveness of authority decisions based on the law. Not to criminalize Section 1 of the Supervision Act and transfer of responsibility for the law from the Swedish Police Authority to the County Admi- ESSAY nistrative boards have reduced the burden on the Police Authority and the district courts at the expense of an increased burden on the County Administrative boards and the administrative courts. The question is what, from a socio-economic perspective, is the best solution to  approach the problem of dangerous dogs.