Dogs caged all day and abandoned in the mountains: anger grows in Sweden at foreign ptarmigan hunters, and the authorities ask the public to film mistreatment

What happened

On 8 November 2026 the Swedish newspaper Expressen reported on a conflict that has been brewing for a long time in the north of the country. Swedish hunters and gundog trainers complain that some of the foreign visitors who come to the mountains to hunt treat their dogs badly. The county administrative board is now asking private individuals to document suspected neglect.

Ptarmigan shooting on the fells

In autumn the Swedish mountains attract hunters from all over Europe. They come to shoot willow ptarmigan, known in Swedish as ripa. This kind of hunting needs pointing dogs, which quarter huge open areas and point when they find birds. Many visitors bring several dogs so they can swap them during the day.

Dogs crated all day

Niklas Lundberg, a game management adviser at the Swedish Hunters' Association, describes a typical scene. Hunters arrive in a minibus fitted with several dog crates. They take two or three dogs up the mountain and leave the rest in the crates in the vehicle. That is how the whole day goes, sometimes several days in a row.

What the law says

In Sweden a dog may be left in a stationary car for no more than three hours. Lundberg understands why Swedish hunters are angry. There is legislation, he says, but above all there is a particular ethic in the Nordic countries. “Dogs are not machines, they are members of our family. We look after them very carefully,” he says.

Six dogs in metal crates

Saila Suorsa, 70, from Boden, trains pointing dogs and runs courses for hunters. She regularly hears accounts of mistreatment and has herself reported dogs belonging to Italian hunters to the county board. “I saw six dogs in small metal crates like that. A dog has to be able to stretch out,” she says.

Dogs left behind on the fells

The most serious accusation concerns abandoned dogs. Swedish hunters know of several cases where pointers were left on the fells when the hunt was over. Perhaps the dog did not come back in time, was too slow or simply was no longer needed. In autumn it gets cold quickly in the mountains, and an abandoned dog can die without help.

Archie's story

A pointer called Archie was lucky. His Italian owner dumped him, and Johanna Granström Sundgren took him in. “It took a long time before he trusted people again,” she says. Archie now lives with a family, but his story has become a symbol of the problem for local hunters.

Who is being blamed

Swedish hunters point above all to hunters from Italy. According to the people Expressen spoke to, most complaints concern them. But not all Italians are being criticised: many visitors return year after year, follow the rules and look after their dogs well. The criticism is aimed at those who see dogs as tools.

“They don't care about anything”

The article's headline quotes an angry hunter: “They don't care about anything.” For Swedish hunters this is not just about the law but about the reputation of hunting as a whole. When people see dogs locked in cars all day, it damages public attitudes to all hunters, including those who take good care of their dogs.

The hunters' association's proposal

Elisabeth Lestander of the Swedish Hunters' Association believes new rules are needed. She proposes that hunters from other countries should be required to hunt only with a local guide. A guide knows local laws and customs, is responsible for safety and can spot early if dogs are being badly treated.

The county board's appeal

The county administrative board, which is responsible for animal welfare in Sweden, has urged private individuals to document suspected mistreatment. That means photographing or filming dogs in crates and noting registration numbers, times and places. This kind of evidence helps inspectors get there quickly and prove a breach.

How to report mistreatment

If you see a dog that has been left in a car for a long time or looks thin and cold, stay calm:

1. Note the time, the place and the vehicle's registration.
2. Take photos or a video without putting yourself at risk.
3. Report it to the animal welfare authorities or the police.
4. If the dog is in distress right now, call 999.
5. Do not break into the car yourself unless the police tell you to.

Why cramped crates are a problem

A travel crate is fine in itself; it keeps the dog safe on the journey. But it is not meant for spending the whole day in. Under Swedish rules a crate must be big enough for the dog to stand, lie down and turn around. Hours of sitting in a cramped space mean stress, sore joints and bladder problems.

Cold and heat

A car in the mountains cools quickly at night and heats up in the sun during the day. A dog in a metal crate cannot escape the cold or the heat. In late autumn the risk of hypothermia is especially high for short-coated pointers. Without water or exercise a dog loses strength even on days when it is not hunting.

The gundog is an athlete

Pointing dogs cover dozens of kilometres a day over rocks and snow. They need rest in the warm, good food and water. Experienced hunters check their dog's paws after every outing, look for cuts and sores and dry the coat. A dog that spends the night in a cold car after that kind of effort is at risk of injury.

What a guide would do

A guide makes sure that visitors follow the rules, know the boundaries of the hunting grounds and do not break animal welfare law. Swedish hunters hope this would solve most of the problems without shutting foreign hunters out.

Nordic dog ethics

The people Expressen spoke to keep coming back to the same idea: in Sweden, Finland and Norway the dog is a member of the family. Gundogs live in the house, sleep in the warm and go out hunting with their owner. That is why the sight of dogs locked in crates all day is especially painful for Nordic people.

Getting a dog ready for the season

Experienced hunters prepare their pointer a few weeks before the season: they build up exercise gradually and check weight, claws and pads. Before travelling to the mountains, the dog should be vaccinated and protected against ticks, and the kit should include a first aid pack with bandages and wound wash. On site the dog needs a warm, dry place to sleep.

Long journeys

Many hunters drive through several countries to reach Sweden, a journey of a day or more. On the way the dog needs a break every few hours, water and a short walk on the lead. Travel within the EU requires a pet passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, and some countries also require tapeworm treatment.

Mother and daughter

Saila Suorsa showed the journalists her dogs Gaissa and Peppa, mother and daughter, sitting beside her on the sofa. “Now we're film stars,” she joked. For her, they show how pointers should live: working in the mountains and resting at home, close to their people.

What happens next

The idea of a compulsory guide is so far the hunters' association's position, not a decision by the authorities. To become a rule, it would need the backing of the bodies that issue hunting permits in the mountains. Until then much depends on how alert local people and inspectors are.

Choosing a gundog

For anyone thinking of getting a pointer, the story is food for thought. A gundog needs plenty of exercise, company and training. Buy a puppy from a breeder who tells you about the parents' health and how they are kept. Responsible breeders ask where and how the dog will live and do not sell puppies “to live in a crate”.

If you find a dog in the mountains

If you meet a lone gundog in the mountains without its owner, do not chase it away. Offer it water, try to read the details on its collar and call the police or a local rescue. Most dogs are microchipped. A vet or the police can quickly trace the owner or arrange foster care.

Hunting and animal welfare

The conflict in the Swedish mountains is part of a wider European debate about the welfare of gundogs. Traditions differ: in some places dogs live in kennels belonging to hunting clubs, in others only at home. EU rules on animal transport barely apply to dogs that private individuals take hunting.

What this means for Europe

Hunters travel freely around Europe with their dogs, and ideas of what counts as acceptable care vary widely. The story from Sweden shows that local people are prepared to stand up for other people's dogs. Similar disputes could arise in other countries that attract hunting tourists, and the idea of a compulsory guide could set an example.

When to see a vet

Have your gundog checked by a vet if after hunting it is lame, has cuts on its paws or blood in its urine, is extremely tired for more than a day or refuses food. Get help urgently if you see signs of hypothermia, such as shivering, lethargy and cold paws and ears, or of heatstroke in a car: rapid panting, vomiting and an unsteady gait.