Animal welfare

Provisions on animal welfare are found in the Animal Welfare Act (247/1996) and the Animal Welfare Decree (396/1996). The legislation aims to protect animals from distress, pain and suffering in the best possible way, as well as to promote the welfare and good treatment of animals. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry handles the general monitoring of the law. At the regional level, it is managed by the Regional State Administrative Agency and at the municipal level by the supervising veterinarian, municipal veterinarians, environmental health protection control officers and the police. In addition, the administrative agency can grant a person the right to carry out animal welfare inspections as an animal welfare inspector.

Suspected cases of poor animal treatment can be reported to the supervisory veterinarian, municipal veterinarians, environmental health inspectors or via the form for reporting on animal welfare (in Swedish or Finnish).

Useful information on animal welfare, monitoring and regulations

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
The Finnish Food Authority
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland