Please help us save Atlanta, Liam and Sherri.

Is the future of dog ownership in jeopardy in modern societies

Three Irish Wolfhounds on death row

My friend Hilde Lorentzen is currently fighting the battle of her life in Norway, trying to save her three Irish Wolfhounds from the court ruling of death sentence.

She has decided to proceed through a second and final(?) appeal to have the death sentence overturned. 

The Norwegian legislature has enacted one of the harshest dog bite laws in Europe, the USA and Canada.

The Norwegian government seizes dogs, kennels dogs, and ultimate euthanizes the dogs for even minor altercations.

In these cases, the Norwegian Court does not consider and give weight to expert testimony as to the likelihood of the dog biting someone else. It does not matter whether there is a likelihood that the dog will bite again.

No additional conditions to ensure that the dog will not bite another dog or person are even being considered. What matters to the Norwegian Judges appears to be that the dog has to be destroyed under all circumstances. The dog bit another dog or a person and consequently it has to be killed. The only cases where people has some success in saving their dogs were cases where the courts accepted proof that the dog was not involved in the “attack.” All of the dog bite cases that reached the Norwegian Supreme Court resulted in the dog being killed. 

This sets a dangerous presedence for all dogs and their people everywhere.

Other European countries are likely to follow suite and enact more stringent laws, if we do not organize a strong opposition to the Norwegian government killing Hilde Lorentzen’s dogs.   

Course of events: 

On April 19th, 2023, Hilde and her friend Rhonda went together to the Veterinary for some routine checks.

Both of Rhonda’s dogs were anesthetized for hip and elbow x-rays.

After the consultations Hilde and Rhonda proceeded to load the dogs back in Hilde’s van. 

Rhonda’s dogs were quite slow to recover from the anesthesia, it was a struggle to get them to the car.

While in the process of being loaded into the car, one of Rhonda’s dogs, Lissi, still under the influence of the anesthesia, suddenly bolted and went after a bypassing smaller dog, being walked on lead.

Agitated by the ordeal, pack behavior set in, and 2 more dogs bolted from the car, and joined in. 

The little dog got bitten, and the owner also received puncture wounds in the hand and thigh while picking up her dog to protect him.

All 5 Wolfhounds were seized by the police. Rhonda’s dogs were later returned to her, while Hildes 3 dogs have been kept in police custody to this date.

Fact: Had this been an explicit act of aggression, then the little dog would not have survived the ordeal, and the owner would probably have been severely injured.

Further details in the updates on the GOFUNDME page.

As a lifelong dog owner myself, I feel an urgency not only to help and support a friend, but also draw people’s attention to the much wider implications of this ruling.

Humans and dogs have shared a 33.000-year-old bond; the oldest known interspecies relationship in the history of the World. Dogs have served us in all walks of life as our loyal dedicated guardians. Aside from serving us in hundreds of specialized functions, dogs are basically champions of “being there” when we need them. In a hectic modern society this is an invaluable trait: They provide emotional support. 

Dog laws are changing in many countries, outlawing specific breeds for a wide variety of reasons.

The “Hilde-case ruling” could have detrimental consequences for our gentle giant, the Irish Wolfhound. Bred to hunt wolves and other large game, Wolfhounds also possess a calm, gentle and affectionate side, which never seemed to conflict with the hunter, so much so, that the latter trait was not bred away from.

In many countries the dog laws have become intolerant of any error on behalf of the dogs, and the Hilde-ruling is a prime example of a zero-tolerance ruling, based on a complete void of cynological insight or understanding.

Dog owners walking their dogs off lead, especially in groups, fail to understand that a similar situation could arise for them, and Hilde’s dogs were not even purposely let off lead.

Modern dog laws are designed for programmable robotic dogs, not for living beings. Not even the best trained utility dog is always 100% under control.

Hilde’s fight for her dogs has not just left her broken emotionally, but also financially.

Hopefully the sale of her house will cover a good part of the already accumulated debt, however, if she is to save her dogs from euthanasia, she will need massive communal backing.

Please chip in, this case is not just about 3 dogs on death row – it is also about you and I, our dogs and the rigidity of modern dog laws.

Thank you for reading, 

Pernille Monberg

Er fremtiden som hundeeier i fare i et moderne samfunn?

Tre irske ulvehunder på "dødscelle"

Min venninne Hilde Lorentzen kjemper for tiden sitt livs kamp i Norge, og prøver å redde sine tre irske ulvehunder fra rettens avgjørelse om dødsdom. Hun har bestemt seg for å gå gjennom en andre og siste (?) anke for å få opphevet dødsdommen. 

Den norske lovgiver har vedtatt en av de strengeste hundebittlovene i Europa, USA og Canada.

Den norske regjeringen beslaglegger hunder, setter dem i kennel og avliver hunder selv for mindre alvorlige hendelser.

I disse sakene vurderes ikke og vektlegges ikke sakkyndig vurdering om sannsynligheten av at hunden biter igjen.

Ingen tilleggsbetingelser for å sikre at hunden ikke vil gjenta handlingen vurderes heller.

Det som ser ut til å bety noe for de norske dommerne er at hunden for enhver prismå avlives.

Hunden bet en annen hund eller en person, og den må følgelig avlives.

De eneste tilfellene der folk har lykkes med å redde hundene sine, var tilfeller der domstolene godtok bevis på at hunden ikke var involvert i "angrepet". 

Alle hundebittsakene som nådde Norges Høyesterett førte til at hunden ble avlivet. Dette setter en farlig presedens for alle hunder og deres eiere overalt.

Andre europeiske land vil sannsynligvis følge etter og vedta strengere lover hvis vi ikke organiserer en sterk motstand mot at den norske regjeringen dreper Hilde Lorentzens hunder.   

Hendelsesforløp: 

19. april 2023 dro Hilde og venninnen Rhonda sammen til veterinæren for noen rutinekontroller. Begge Rhondas hunder ble bedøvet for hofte- og albuerøntgen.

Etter konsultasjonene fortsatte Hilde og Rhonda med å laste hundene tilbake i Hildes varebil. 

Rhondas hunder var ganske trege med å komme seg etter narkosen, det var ikke enkelt å få dem inn i bilen.

Mens hun var i ferd med å bli lastet inn i bilen, reagerte en av Rhondas hunder, Lissi, fortsatt under påvirkning av narkosen, presset opp burdøra og løp etter en forbipasserende mindre hund,som var i bånd.

Flokkmentaliteten slo inn, og 2 hunder til brøt seg ut av bilen og ble med. Den lille hunden ble bitt, og eieren fikk også punktbittskader i hånden og låret mens hun tok opp hunden sin for å beskytte ham.

Alle de 5 ulvehundene ble beslaglagt av politiet.

Rhondas hunder ble senere returnert til henne, mens Hildes 3 hunder har blitt holdt i politiets varetekt til dags dato.

Fakta: Hadde dette vært en ren aggresjonshandling, så hadde ikke den lille hunden overlevd, og eieren ville trolig blitt alvorlig skadet.

Ytterligere detaljer i oppdateringene under på GOFUNDME-siden.

Som hundeeier hele livet selv, føler jeg at det haster ikke bare å hjelpe og støtte en venn, men også trekke folks oppmerksomhet til de mye bredere implikasjonene av denne kjennelsen.

Mennesker og hunder har delt et 33.000 år gammelt bånd; det eldste kjente slektskapet mellom artene i verdenshistorien.

Hunder har tjent oss i alle samfunnslag lojale og dedikerte . Bortsett fra å tjene oss i hundrevis av spesialiserte funksjoner, er hundene bare der når vi trenger dem.

I et hektisk moderne samfunn er dette en uvurderlig egenskap: De gir følelsesmessig støtte. 

Hundelover endres i mange land, og forbyr spesielle raser av ulike årsaker.

«Hilde-saken» kan få skadelige konsekvenser for vår milde gigant, den irske ulvehunden.

Oppdrettet for å jakte ulv og annet storvilt, har ulvehunder også en rolig, mild og kjærlig side, som aldri har kommet i konflikt med jaktinstinktene.

I mange land har hundelovene blitt intolerante overfor enhver feil hunder gjør og Hilde-dommen er et ypperlig eksempel på en nulltoleransekjennelse, basert på et fullstendig mangel på kynologisk innsikt eller forståelse.

Hundeeiere som går med hundene sine løse, spesielt i grupper, forstår ikke at en lignende situasjon kan oppstå for dem. Hildes hunder ble ikke engang sluppet løs med vilje.

Moderne hundelover er designet for programmerbare robothunder, ikke for levende vesener. Selv ikke den best trente brukshunden er alltid 100 % under kontroll.

Hildes kamp for hundene sine har ikke bare skadet henne følelsesmessig , men også økonomisk.

Forhåpentligvis vil salget av huset dekke en god del av den allerede akkumulerte gjelden, men hvis hun skal redde hundene sine fra avlivning, vil hun trenge massiv felles støtte.

Vennligst bidra, denne saken handler ikke bare om 3 hunder på dødscelle – det handler også om deg og meg, våre hunder og rigide moderne hundelover.

Takk for at du leser.

Pernille Monberg



Hi

My name is Berit Catherine Johnsen. I'm an old friend of Hilde, and is starting this fundraising with some of her closest friends.

Please help us save Liam, Atlanta and Sherri!

We are so, so grateful to everyone who has contributed, it's amazing to see how many care about this and these dogs. It means so much!

Update november :

The dogs are still at a kennel. We don't know which kennel, and Hilde gets no answer to how they are doing.

She's asked the lawyer to ask if the dogs need more warm blankets before the winter comes.

An answer to the appeal against euthanising the dogs, is expected in the beginning of January.

November : Kort oppdatering:

Hundene står fremdeles på kennel. Vi vet ikke hvor de er, Hilde får ingen

tilbakemelding om hvordan de har det.

Hun har bedt advokaten spørre om det trengs flere varme tepper før vinteren setter inn.

Svar på anken om avlivning ventes i starten av januar.

Update: september

The good news are that the dogs have been seen by a veterinarian and they have been moved to a kennel with more space for larger dogs.

The bad news are that we now do not know where the dogs are. The appeal is making its way up the legal ladder, and in the worst case we will not know what happens for another 4-5 months.

oppdatering:

Gode nyheter:

Hundene har fått tilsyn av veterinær.

De er blitt flyttet til en kennel som har plass til store hunder.

Dårlige nyheter:

Ingen vet nå hvor hundene er.

Politiet har avvist anken, saken er gått videre til politidirektoratet.

Det kan i verste fall gå 4-5 måneder før vi vet hva som skjer videre.

Update:

The dogs are still in the kennel. The expenses both for this and for the lawyer increase as long as we do not get a response to the complaint. We therefore choose to raise our aim to NOK 250,000.

❤️

After an incident outside a vet office at April 19th 2023, where a small dog and its owner got bit, the police has decided that Atlanta, Liam and Sherri must die. This even though no one knows which dog actually bit. The two other dogs that were at the scene, have been released, but these three are still in custody and in danger of being killed. The police has not allowed the dogs to be character tested. Hilde, their owner, has used all her savings on kennel costs and lawyer expenses, and needs help to fight the decision. If the kennel invoices are not paid on time, the police will kill the dogs immediately.

Please help!

More information about the case below.

❤️

Hjelp oss å redde Liam, Sherri og Atlanta!

Vi er utrolig takknemlige for alle som har bidratt, det er helt fantastisk å se at så mange bryr seg. Det betyr så mye!

Oppdatering:

Hundene står stadig på kennel. Utgiftene både til dette, og til advokat øker så lenge vi ikke får svar på klagen. Vi velger derfor å heve målet vårt til 250 000kr.

❤️

Etter en hendelse utenfor et veterinærkontor 19.april 2023, der en liten hund og dens eier ble bitt, har politiet vedtatt at Atlanta, Liam og Sherri skal dø. Dette selv om ingen vet hvilken hund som faktisk bet. De to andre hundene som var innblandet hendelsen er frigitt, men disse tre er fortsatt i forvaring og i fare for å avlives. Politiet har ikke gått med på å la hundene mentaltestes. Eieren deres, Hilde, har brukt alle sparepengene sine på kennelutgifter og advokatkostnader, og trenger hjelp for å kunne å fortsette kampen mot vedtaket. Hvis kennelutgiftene ikke betales til forfallsdato, vil politiet avlive hundene umiddelbart.

Vær så snill, hjelp oss å redde hundene!

More information about the case below.

On April 19th, the worst imaginable thing happened. Five Irish Wolfhounds had been at the vet office with their two owners, two had been sedated for x-rays.

Four of the dogs got loose when one of the two sedated dogs pushed its way out of the car cage while the other was being loaded in, this happened when a small dog and its owner passed the car. The others followed the first dog that got out. The fifth dog, Liam, was on leash, and Hilde never let go even though she fell over.

One of them, it’s not certain wich one, attacked the small dog and bit the owner as well in the situation. All five dogs were taken in police custody and placed at a kennel facility.

The two that were sedated have been let out to their owner, while Liam, Sherri and Atlanta, owned by Hilde, are still in custody and the police has decided they should be put down. This is wrong, none of the dogs are aggressive or dangerous, this was a situation that was started because of stress after sedation, possibly from post-anesthesia induced agitation.

Hilde needs help to be able to keep fighting the decision and save the dogs. The kennel costs must be paid on due date, or the police will kill the dogs immediately. As of now the kennel costs are already over 50 000 NOK (4480 EUR) and the lawyer costs are already at 48500 NOK (4345 EUR). Hilde has spent all of her savings. The decision has been appealed and we will keep fighting.

Please help Hilde save her dogs.

"Hilde is a close friend of mine. She is a person of integrity, she is a kind, loving dog owner and she puts a lot of thought into her well consolidated breeding program. Her dogs are all well cared for. The incident was most unfortunate and we can all agree, that it never should have happened. However, none of the dogs were intentionally left off lead - which should be a stark reminder to all dog-owners, and especially owners of large breeds, that things can go awry in seconds, when dogs are intentionally let off lead in public. In the meantime Hilde's dogs need to go home to Hilde where they belong. It has been a long and traumatic time for both dogs and owner. Please help with a donation; large or small. The details of the story can be found in the link above. Pernille Monberg Wolfhouse IWs"