– People “throw” animals all the time – NRK Norway – Summary of news from different parts of the country

– There are an incredible amount of people placing ads now. Homeowners looking for lost animals and people who have found animals on the street. That’s double the record summer last year, Anders Brochmann tells NRK.

Brochmann is the portal administrator for Dyrebar.no, which is Norway’s largest service for registering lost or found pets.

Despite a record number of cases resolved so far this year, there have never been so many registered pets gone astray in Norway, says Brochmann.

In the national database, 2,582 pets are registered as missing to date. 1,276 pets are registered as found and live with a temporary owner.

The same goes for Animal Protection Norway.

– We have followed up on our 27 local departments. Everyone says it’s crowded. There are more animals that need help than we can help, says CEO Åshild Roaldset.

Requires identification marking

Roaldset believes that the best measure to divert fewer animals is mandatory identification marking. A “chip” in the animal that indicates who the owner is.

– We believe that mandatory identification marking should be introduced for all animals. Then it would be much worse to “dump” an animal and several would have thought twice before acquiring an animal. We see people “throw away” animals all the time, and it’s very sad, says Roaldset.

For dogs, identification marking is mandatory. But for cats, among other things, it is not. She believes that it is easier for the owner to “throw” the animal when it cannot be traced to them.

– It happens that the animals that get lost and do not carry the DNI meet friendly people who take care of them. But we also see those who go out and die of cold in winter. If all the animals had been identified, then he could call the owner, he says.

– Poorer legal protection

Brochmann says that various organizations and active supporters across the country contribute and share content for their stray animals on social media.

It helps them reunite stray pets with their owners, he explains.

– The commitment to missing animals reflects that pets are an important part of our lives, and that more and more Norwegians see them as full members of the family, says Brochmann, owner of a Border Collie.

• Read what to do if you find a wayward pet or miss your own pet HERE.

In Norway, it is cats that make up the largest proportion of lost pets. Roaldset explains that most cats are born around this time of year and that this may be one of the reasons why more cats go astray right now.

– If a dog is lost, it becomes a police matter. This is not the case with cats and rabbits. They have poorer legal protection. Fortunately, we have hundreds of volunteers who use their time to care for them, says Roaldset.