There have been fewer reported dog bites in Denmark this year, which begs the question: will Danish dogs be calmer, or will Danes be less likely to make insurance claims?
In 2020, 6,507 dog bites were reported to insurance companies – slightly less than the year before.
But according to figures from Forsikringsoplysningen, a total of DKK 28.5 million was paid in compensation – DKK 3 million more than the year before.
Although there are fewer dog bites, the average insurance payout has increased. It now works for around 4,400 kroner per. So is the change down to the owner or pet?
Like peas in a belt
The answer may be a mixture of the two. It is a common belief that dogs to some extent reflect their owners.
In a examination published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, researchers asked dog owners to rate themselves and their dogs on five major personality aspects.
The five traits were neuroticism (a tendency to emotions such as anxiety and fear), extraversion, conscientiousness, comfort and openness (creativity and curiosity).
Non-confrontational owner, non-confrontational pet?
Predominantly, owners responded that they share all five personality dimensions with their dogs. When owner-pet-duos were rated by independent peers, they also rated them as sharing all five traits except openness.
Perhaps the conventional bias that Danes are non-confrontational holds a certain role in the recent dip in dog violence.
Nevertheless, Forsikring & Pension reiterates that dog owners must apply for compulsory liability insurance to cover any incidents.
Far more trucks on the roads today than ten years ago
The number of trucks on Danish roads has increased by an average of 26 percent over the last ten years, according to Jyllands-Posten. Most markedly, Kolding has seen an increase of 58 percent and Horsens 40 percent. About 37.5 percent more trucks crossed the Great Belt Bridge in 2020 than in 2010, according to the Danish Road Directorate.
Fantastic harvest for Danish vineyards after Indian summer
The Danish wine producer Simon Hedegaard had a “terribly good” harvest at Hedegårdens Vinavl in Skødstrup this year. Recently, Danish wine producers have become accustomed to warmer spring weather, but the season started badly with a colder May than usual. High temperatures in August and throughout September have, however, lifted the mood in Jutand, where Hedegaard farms a plot of land on a hectare of 3,000 vines north of Aarhus. “Usually I harvest a small bottle per. Vine, but it will probably be a year and a half this year, ”said Hedegaard, who is trying to prove that it is possible to make proper red wine in Denmark. Denmark’s wine-producing credentials are short but growing: Some of the most well-known native grapes include the hardy white Solaris and the red Cabernet Cantor.
Mikkel Irminger Sarbo is Radicals’ new national chair
Radicals have chosen Mikkel Irminger Sarbo to replace Svend Thorhauge as his new national chairman. He piped the party’s current deputy chairman, Clara Halvorsen, and a third candidate, Christian Holm Donatzky, to the post. In the Radicals, the national seat is separated from the political leader. Sofie Carsten Nielsen remains party leader in political contexts. Sarbo will instead be responsible for the party’s organization. Sanne Klietsch, meanwhile, is the new vice president.
Vestas closes factory in Esbjerg
The wind turbine group Vestas ends production at its Esbjerg factory, which employs 75 people. Because wind turbine parts produced in Esbjerg are primarily sold in countries outside Europe, Vestas will move the production of these parts to local factories. In addition, production will close at the German Lauchhammer and Spanish Viveiro locations. The two factories have 460 and 115 employees, respectively. “We are deeply invested in exploring the possibilities of relocating our colleagues, who will unfortunately be affected by the cessation of production at our factories in Lauchhammer, Viveiro and Esbjerg, elsewhere in the Vestas company,” said CEO Tommy Rahbek Nielsen.
50 percent increase in emergency rescues off Danish coasts
The helicopter rescue service has worked at full throttle to respond to emergencies on the Danish coast, where domestic holidaymakers have been in danger while swimming in the sea. In 2019, the rescue services carried out 431 rescue operations, but in 2020 the number rose to 642 – an increase of close to 50 percent, according to the Rescue Council, which registers and assesses the rescue service’s efforts. In 2021, the emergency response has so far been called out 410 times. The high numbers are blamed for an increase in visits to swimming pools since the start of the pandemic.