Animal welfare
Laws have been made to promote animal welfare and to protect animals from harm in the best possible way. The purpose of the legislation is also to ensure that people respect animals and treat them well. If you suspect that an animal is being treated in a way that is against animal welfare legislation, you should contact the animal welfare authority. In Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi, the unit responsible for animal welfare tasks is Espoo Region Environmental Health Services.
You can submit an animal welfare notification by email at elainsuojeluvalvonta@espoo.fi. Your message should include the following information:
- a brief explanation of why you believe that an animal welfare inspection is necessary;
- the name and full address of the person in question (including their apartment number and a door code, if applicable);
- your contact information (name and phone number) in case we need further information. Your information will never be disclosed to the person in question.
Please note that, for example, the barking of a dog in the next-door apartment does not give cause for an animal welfare inspection. Instead, it is considered a disturbance, of which you should primarily inform the owner of the dog or the housing company.
The supervisory authority has the right to carry out an inspection if there is reason to suspect that an animal is being kept or treated in violation of animal welfare legislation. Not all inspections lead to measures. For example, the animal welfare authority may also give the owner advice on how to take care of their animal.
If animal welfare legislation has been violated, the supervisory authority must take the necessary measures to fix the situation. For example, the authority may give orders to the person who has mistreated an animal.