Here is a “news article” from the state-owned propaganda outlet NRK. In the article, they write that the payment arrangement for Ukrainian refugees to bring their pets to Norway has ended. This is after the Norwegian government having spent almost 6 million USD to bring Ukrainian pets to the country. The “critical journalists” are of course not problematising the money use. Instead, good collectivists as they are, they criticise the termination of this program.

Below are machine translated excerpts of the article.

Only six “repeaters”, aka “journalists”, was needed to make this “news” article. | src: nrk.no ¹

Norway has spent NOK 63 million [5.86 million USD] on Ukrainian pets ²

The arrangement that allowed Olena Dmytrenko to flee Ukraine with her dog Busya has now been removed. The Minister of Agriculture believes it was necessary to help the refugees with the animals.

Since the outbreak of war in February last year, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has ensured that refugees from Ukraine could come to Norway with pets without documenting that the animals were infection-free, as people from other countries must.

They have covered expenses related to vaccines, blood tests and quarantine stays, and made exceptions to the regular regulations.

Several are skeptical that the scheme will be removed.

Olena Dmytrenko and the medium schnauzer Busya (9) also received help to cover the costs of bringing the latter to Norway.

Busya’s stay in quarantine cost over NOK 20,000 [18,594 USD] and Olena can’t think of what she would have done if she hadn’t had the costs covered.

- Those fleeing Ukraine are in a difficult situation, and probably cannot cover these costs. I couldn’t pay.

- Could you leave the dog behind in Ukraine?

- No. We have history with the dog. It must be included. It will be the same as own children, says Dmytrenko.

63 million [5.86 million USD] for Ukrainian pets

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority informs NRK that approximately 2,160 pets have come to Norway from Ukraine since the outbreak of war last year and until 30 June this year. The majority are dogs and cats, but there have also been ferrets, rats, budgies and one boa constrictor, informs the reception in Råde.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has spent NOK 63 million on quarantine and vaccination of these animals. That means around NOK 30,000 [2789 USD] per animal. In addition, Animal Protection has spent NOK 2.5 million [232,436 USD] and the animal protection organization NOAH has spent over NOK 200,000 [18,595 USD]. The voluntary organizations have paid for veterinary visits for sick and injured animals, which the Norwegian Food Safety Authority does not cover.

Agriculture and Food Minister Sandra Borch (Sp) believes it was absolutely necessary to spend so much money on the Ukrainian animals.

- It was necessary in the situation we got with refugees from Ukraine. It was an unmanageable situation. Then we know that pets from Ukraine may not have been vaccinated. We had to do it to make sure that we didn’t get animal diseases into Norway, such as rabies and the fox’s small tapeworm, says Borch to NRK.

src: bobmoran.co.uk

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