Animal welfare control

Animal welfare control is governed by the Animal Welfare Act and the regulations made under it. The purpose of the Act is to promote animal welfare and to protect animals in the best possible way from harm to their welfare. The Act also aims to promote respect and good treatment of animals.

Animal welfare inspections are carried out when there is a suspicion of non-compliance with the legislation. Inspections are also carried out on a regular basis without any suspicion at premises that keep animals professionally or on a large scale for social or recreational purposes.

If you suspect that an animal is being kept or treated in a way that does not comply with animal welfare legislation, you can file an animal welfare notification. The animal welfare notification is primarily made using an electronic form. You can also submit an animal welfare notification directly to the supervising veterinarian by e-mail or, if you do not have access to e-mail, by telephone on weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. (contact details below).

Note! Animal welfare notifications made on the form will be processed during office hours. Outside office hours, in an emergency, please contact the municipal veterinarian on duty or the police to deal with the animal welfare matter.

For an animal welfare inspection, the supervisory authority must have sufficient reason to suspect that the premises are not complying with animal welfare legislation.

Supervising vets do not treat the following:

Disorderly behaviour problems such as dogs barking in the neighbourhood, an animal running loose or other similar environmental nuisance.

• Dogs must not cause unreasonable noise nuisance to neighbours by barking. If the noise or other nuisance caused by an animal in a housing association is not sufficient, you should contact the property manager or the board of the association. Noise in breach of the Public Order Act can be reported to the police.
• Guidance on keeping pets

Damage to other animals or people caused by a stray or aggressive animal

You can report the matter to the police. The police, as a preliminary investigation authority, have the possibility to question and investigate what has already happened.

Disputes relating to the purchase and sale of animals

In such cases, the first priority should be to contact the other party and clear the matter with them. In the event of a dispute concerning the sale of animals, you can contact the consumer ombudsman.

Cruelty to animals

Violence against animals is often very difficult to prove by an animal welfare inspection. In such cases, it would be useful to obtain evidence, for example by photography or video, and then report the matter to the police. In addition to the police’s role in monitoring animal welfare, the police also enforce the law on public order and hunting and, as a pre-trial investigation authority, have the possibility of questioning and investigating cases that have already taken place.

If you suspect that animals are being treated in breach of animal welfare legislation, you can report it. If you have made a notification and there is a change in the situation of the animals, it is a good idea to make a new notification.

Animal welfare notification form details: name of the animal keeper and address, city, phone number, door code inside, case description, attachment number 1 & 2 and 3, informant’s name and phone number/e-mail. Required fields are marked in red.

Contact details

valvontaelainlaakari@siilinjarvi.fi

044 740 1486