Sweden’s Social Democrats want to ban gang criminals from having dogs, arguing that animals can be used as weapons, tools of intimidation and status symbols inside criminal networks. The proposal comes during the campaign for Sweden’s 13 September election and would potentially apply to thousands of people identified by police as active gang criminals.
The party wants the authorities to be able to prevent people involved in serious organised crime from keeping dogs regardless of breed, meaning the restriction would not be limited to breeds commonly described as fighting dogs.
A dog ban aimed at Sweden’s gang criminals
Under the proposal, police would be able to seek an individual order preventing someone associated with a criminal network from keeping a dog. The animal could then be taken into care.
Teresa Carvalho, the Social Democrats’ justice policy spokesperson, told Aftonbladet that the measure is intended both to increase public safety and to prevent dogs from becoming part of the social status surrounding criminal groups.
“It is important because we see how fighting dogs, but also other breeds, are used by people in criminal network environments as status symbols, to frighten people and actually also as outright weapons,” Carvalho said.
The proposal therefore covers all dogs. Carvalho argued that even a small dog such as a Chihuahua could function as a status symbol, while larger dogs could also be used to intimidate or injure people.
The exact legal form of the prohibition has not yet been decided. The Social Democrats want the issue to be investigated, including possible changes to Sweden’s animal welfare legislation and greater access for animal welfare officials to relevant criminal-record information when assessing whether someone is suitable to keep animals.
Police estimate 17,500 people are active gang criminals
The proposal could potentially concern a large group. According to the latest assessment by the Swedish Police Authority (Polismyndigheten), around 17,500 people are considered active gang criminals in Sweden. A further approximately 50,000 people are considered to have connections to criminal networks.
The party does not intend the proposed restriction to apply only to people already convicted and imprisoned. Carvalho said police intelligence about membership or activity within criminal networks could also form part of the system.
The model would resemble Sweden’s existing preventive restrictions on where certain people connected to criminal environments may go. In those cases, police can seek restrictions that are ultimately decided by a prosecutor.
For dogs, Carvalho suggested a similar procedure in which police could apply for an individual prohibition and the dog would then be taken into care if the restriction were approved.
Crime policy is again central to Sweden’s election campaign
The dog proposal is part of a broader package through which the Social Democrats want to restrict the activities of people involved in criminal networks. According to Aftonbladet, the party has previously proposed restrictions on foreign travel and contacts with other criminals, as well as measures preventing gang criminals from starting businesses or transferring money.
Gang crime has remained one of the main political issues in Sweden after years of shootings, explosions and recruitment of young people into criminal networks. The current centre-right government has also introduced and proposed increasingly restrictive measures against organised crime, including tougher penalties for offences linked to criminal networks.
The latest Social Democratic proposal should therefore be understood as part of a wider competition over crime policy ahead of the election rather than as an already approved change to Swedish law.
Swedes will elect a new Riksdag, as well as regional and municipal councils, on Sunday, 13 September 2026, according to the Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten). With less than a month remaining before the vote, organised crime is once again becoming one of the issues through which Sweden’s largest parties are trying to define the election campaign.
