Animal husbandry

What constitutes an activity subject to notification? The keeping of
companion and hobby animals on a professional basis or otherwise on a large scale:

• The regular sale or brokering of dogs, cats or other pets and companion animals
• Breeding dogs or cats where the owner or keeper has at least six breeding bitches that have whelped at least once
• Taking dogs or cats into care, boarding or training, provided that at least six dogs or cats aged over five months are taken into care, boarding or training at the same time and on a regular basis
• Horse management (breeding, leasing, boarding, care, training, education), provided there are at least six adult animals, regardless of the horses’ intended use or ownership arrangements
• Other similar professional or large-scale keeping of companion and hobby animals
• Farms for the production of meat, eggs and breeding stock
• Game management enclosures

Making a report

If you are engaged in any activity subject to notification, you must submit a written notification of your activities to the Regional State Administrative Agency for the relevant area no later than 30 days before commencing the new activity, and no later than 14 days before ceasing the activity or if there is a significant change to the activity.

Supervision

Commercial animal facilities are regularly inspected in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act, based on a risk assessment.

The operator is required to maintain an up-to-date list of the animal species and individual animals covered by the activities, as well as a record of medication. However, the obligation to keep a record of medication does not apply to cats, dogs and other small pets. The list must be presented to the supervisory authorities upon request.

Further information is available on the Finnish Food Authority’s website

This content has been translated using AI