A judge in Helsingør has handed police officer Lars Bo Lomholt a 60-day suspended sentence and two-year probation for abusing his position of authority when he rescued a dog from being put down last January.

Lomholt, who was also ordered to pay the costs incurred in the case, was sentenced after the court found him guilty of impersonating an on-duty officer when he took the German shepherd named Thor from the kennel where it was being held after the dog had been ordered to be put down for attacking a smaller dog. 

Thor's owners argued the dog had been surprised by the other dog's sudden appearance. Animal control laws, however, required that Thor be put down, due to the seriousness of the injuries to smaller dog.

Lomholt, who has served as a police officer for 20 years, appealed the court’s decision on the spot.

The case reopened discussions about recently passed legislation aimed at controling violent dogs, but in his closing comments to the court, Lomholt said he acted on moral grounds.

“I have always had a soft spot for the weak and I have a strong sense of justice,” he said. “I have been happy to help people who felt that they have been unjustly treated. That dog control law is twisted and I did this to raise awareness about the issue.”

Numerous animal advocates were present in the court room today and Lombolt has enjoyed massive support for his actions. He has raised 142,000 signatures in his efforts to change the law.

Lomholt’s police career is likely over after the sentencing, though he hoped to continue somehow. But he had no regrets about saving Thor.

“I will never regret that. I believe that I have helped promote the debate about dog control laws to a level that it should have been long ago,” Lomholt told MetroXpress newspaper.

Since being rescued, Thor has been moved to a safe location in Sweden.

“I have seen him a few times since, most recently in April, and from what I can see, Thor is doing really well,” Lomholt told MetroXpress.