Legislation
- Animal Welfare Act (in Danish)
- Law on the keeping of animals (in Danish)
- Law on dogs (in Danish)
- Law on Zoos (in Danish)
- Law on hunt (in Danish)
- Law on horses (in Danish)
- Law on dairy cattle and their offsprings (in Danish)
- Law on indoor keeping of pregnant sows and gilts (in Danish)
- Law on pigs (in Danish)
- Law on broilers (in Danish)
- Law on cat and dog fur (in Danish)
- Act on prohibition of slaughter and killing of pregnant animals and horses in the last tenth of gestation (in Danish)
- Law on veterinary practice (in Danish)
Publication related to the legislation
Enforcement tools
Ministry in the Government responsible of animal welfare issues
Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
Structure in the government
There is a Special comittee under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries which considers drafts of new EU-legislation as well as draft recommendations from the Council of Europe. The members of this committee consist of agricultural organisations representing producers, research institutes, animal welfare societies and relevant ministries. The member organisations are expected to inform their members when new legislation has been adopted.
There are also 3 Animal Welfare councils established under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, warranted by the Act on the Protection of Animals.
- The Animal Welfare Council,
- the Ethical Council for Animals,
- the Council concerning the Keeping of certain Animals (e.g. exotic animals)
The Danish Centre for Animal Welfare (DCAW)
DCAW was initiated in January 2010. DCAW is located at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration but is a collaborative initiative bringing together animal welfare experts from the authorities as well as from Copenhagen and Aarhus universities.
DCAW contributes to improving animal welfare by:
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Communicating animal welfare knowledge to relevant stakeholders such as farmers, politicians, veterinarians, researchers, pet owners, etc.
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Initiating and supporting animal welfare research.
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Presenting an overview of animal welfare-related data from authorities, from the farming industry and from research.
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Comparing Danish animal welfare data and legislation to that of other European countries