Politicians say: enough! They want tougher penalties for animal abuse
The Green Party (MDG) is proposing to double the maximum penalty for crimes against animals. The party wants to raise the limit from three to six years of imprisonment. The proposal has received support from Økokrim (the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime).
A higher limit is intended to give courts more flexibility.
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Une Bastholm from MDG points out that the current regulations are outdated. In her opinion, they provide animals with too little legal protection. The proposal assumes a change in the maximum penalty for abuse and neglect. The politician hopes for a parliamentary majority in favor of this proposal.
Lower penalties than for property damage
MDG points out discrepancies in the law. Crimes against animals are punished more leniently than property damage. Bastholm notes that wild animals have a higher level of protection than domestic animals. In her view, this is an inconsistency in the system. She calls for regulations to be updated to current standards.
Veterinarian Siri Martinsen from the NOAH organization supports the change. She claims that the current upper penalty limit is too low. She emphasizes that the maximum penalty of three years has never been applied in full. She also points out that higher sanctions may influence the priorities of law enforcement agencies. In her opinion, raising the limit is important as a signal.
Veterinarian Siri Martinsen from the NOAH organization supports the change. She claims that the current upper penalty limit is too low. She emphasizes that the maximum penalty of three years has never been applied in full. She also points out that higher sanctions may influence the priorities of law enforcement agencies. In her opinion, raising the limit is important as a signal.
The topic attracts the interest of animal rights organizations.Photo: stock.adobe.com/standard license
Court practice and Økokrim's position
Økokrim confirms that in the most serious cases, courts reach the upper penalty limit. At the same time, sentence reductions are applied, lowering the final sentence. In one case involving years of abuse of dogs, the basis was set at three years. The final sentence was two years and six months due to a 20-25% reduction. A representative of Økokrim points out that this limits the effect of the sanctions.
The institution supports raising the maximum penalty. It believes this will give courts more flexibility in sentencing. Bastholm emphasizes that the threshold for recognizing an act as serious will remain high. In her opinion, a higher limit will allow penalties to be better matched to the scale of the violation.
An example is a case from western Norway involving serious abuse of dogs. A man committed sexual crimes against animals over a long period. The case was considered one of the most serious of its kind. Despite the scale of the acts, the court imposed a sentence of 16 months in prison. The case is cited as an argument in the debate on tougher penalties.
The institution supports raising the maximum penalty. It believes this will give courts more flexibility in sentencing. Bastholm emphasizes that the threshold for recognizing an act as serious will remain high. In her opinion, a higher limit will allow penalties to be better matched to the scale of the violation.
An example is a case from western Norway involving serious abuse of dogs. A man committed sexual crimes against animals over a long period. The case was considered one of the most serious of its kind. Despite the scale of the acts, the court imposed a sentence of 16 months in prison. The case is cited as an argument in the debate on tougher penalties.
The proposal was already discussed in December 2025. At that time, the Ministry of Agriculture decided that the change required broader analysis and consultation. The regulations were not amended. MDG announces further action and political talks. According to Bastholm, the new regulations could come into force on January 1, 2027.
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