“A woman from Bornholm got sentenced to 30 days suspended prison for leaving her guinea pigs to die without food while she was on an extended Christmas holiday.”
Animal rights are not a joke in Denmark. The Animal Welfare Act says that animals are living, sentient beings that have to be protected against pain, suffering, and anxiety. Anyone who keeps animals must ensure they are treated with care, including that they are housed, fed, watered, and cared for, taking into account their physiological, behavioral, and health needs. Anyone who, through overexertion, neglect, or otherwise, treats animals irresponsibly is punished with a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.
In other news on the small screen, we have watched with horror what happens when you turn a medical clinic into a scaling business. The scandal at Alles Lægehus is far from over, after it was unearthed that they illegally claimed subsidies for treatments they never did. If you have been/are a patient at one of their 38 clinics around Denmark, you should check sundhed.dk under “Mine Konsultationer”, and see if what is reported there corresponds with reality.
After the breakaway republic of Transnistria called for a Russian intervention in the area, the tentacles of the war seem to be expanding outside the Ukrainian front. While our neighbors in Sweden are intensively preparing for a potential invasion, a prominent Venstre (Liberal) politician says Denmark is severely unprepared for war. The European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, said, “The threat of war may not be imminent, but it is not an impossibility, so we should prepare.”
On internal updates, we are recording the first episode of the #VOTEHOME podcast next week, where we have guest Jan Kristoffersen, the lead candidate from Alternativet (Greens) for European Parliament. If you want to record a question for him, please send the audio file to amis.aalborg@gmail.com (max 30 seconds).
Happy International Women’s Day this Friday, March 8!
Word of the Week
Forsvar= Defense. It has four main meanings: a.) a country’s armed forces; b.) the part of the sports team that stops attacks; c.) response to a military/violent attack; d.) trial procedure in favor of the accused). Related words – hjemmeværn (home guard); hær (army); søværn (navy); flyvevåben (air force).
