Even so, mental tests are only performed on an average of 50 dogs a year.
“It can result in dangerous dogs not being stopped,” says police dog tester Patrik Hopstadius in Umeå to Sweden’s radio Ekot.
According to several experts, who participate in P1 Dokumentär’s miniseries Kamphundarna, more dogs that have bitten people or animals should be mentally tested.
When a dog attacks a person or an animal, since 2018 it is the county administrative board where the dog belongs that is responsible for assessing whether a mental test should be ordered. The test is then carried out by the police.
The purpose of the test is to investigate whether the dog is at risk of attacking again. But the county administrative board does not have to follow up on the results even if the police should recommend euthanasia.
Several severe attacks occur every year in Sweden and last year a woman died after being attacked by her dog in Robertsfors in Västerbotten.