Our perception of animals changes over time. Today, pets are increasingly seen as family members, while many people have no contact with the animals that form the basis of our animal-based foods. The extent of knowledge about animals’ emotional capacity has increased significantly in recent years. This expansion of knowledge has focused on animals’ abilities to experience negative emotional states such as pain and suffering, states that are central to much legislation concerning animal protection.
When Danish authorities handle violations of legislation regarding animal protection, knowledge is typically obtained from animal experts (veterinarians), who review the evidence and assess the severity of the case.Since 1925, such assessments have been carried out by the Veterinary Health Council, whose expert role has remained largely unchanged during this period.
ANIMALAW is the first project of its kind to focus on handling animal welfare violations in connection with animal transport. Despite 1) the long tradition of this legal practice, 2) the high number of animals transported in and from Denmark each year, and 3) the growing scientific evidence of negative affective states (such as pain and suffering) in animals, this area has not been investigated before.
Main content of the project
Through a unique collaboration between Danish and foreign legal, anthropological, biological, and veterinary researchers, this project maps Danish practices in animal welfare cases concerning animal transport and examines whether these practices meet today’s standards regarding animal perception, expertise, and legal transparency.
Project period and publication
The project starts in September 2024 and ends in August 2028. The results of the project, which are expected to be available at the end of the project, will be published on the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences' website, at national congresses, in national journals, and will form the basis for articles in international peer-reviewed journals.
Presentation/abstract by Kirstin Dahl-Pedersen, Peter T. Thomsen, Mette Herskin:
ANIMALAW: examining veterinary evidence in legal cases of animal welfare offences in animal transport
"ANIMALAW is an interdisciplinary study of animal welfare offences in Denmark focusing on animal transport cases. A number of cases from the past 10-20 years will be descriptively analyzed based on veterinary science with attention to e.g., type of clinical condition, and type of evidence presented. Based on the results, one (or more) high-incidence clinical condition will be selected, and scientific evidence for negative affective states and animal welfare will be systematically reviewed. The insights gained from this analytical work will be used in the overall study to create more legal transparency.”
Presentation by Louise Victoria Johansen
How are animal welfare cases on animal transport handled by Danish courts?
In a new paper presented at the Annual Conference for the European Society of Criminology in Athens, 3-6 September 2025, we explored how court decisions balance animal welfare, veterinary expertise, and legal transparency. We showed possible discrepancies between veterinary assessments and legal rulings; context-dependent interpretations of concepts like pain and suffering; and how evolving knowledge about animals’ sensory and cognitive capacities challenge existing legal frameworks.
Sted: Aalborg Universitet Campus Sydhavnen.
Konferencen er støttet af Justitsministeriet og af AAU.
Indlæg fra ANIMALAW ved Louise V. Johansen og Søren Stig Andersen:
Lever dansk veterinær og juridisk praksis i forbindelse med dyreværnssager op til nutidens idealer om dyresyn, fagkundskab og retlig transparens?
Louise V. Johansen
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