Animal offences refer to, for example, an animal being neglected or harmed. Animal offences are also linked to financial and organised crime. In the most serious cases, an offence committed against an animal can result in a ban from keeping animals or even imprisonment.
The police are campaigning on this topic this week with a press release and posts on social media. The purpose of the campaign is to increase awareness and understanding of various animal offences and to encourage people to tip off the authorities when they observe mistreatment of animals or other suspicious activity.
About a thousand animal offences were recorded in 2019, the most common being animal welfare offences and infringements. An animal welfare infringement differs from an offence in that it is usually punishable only by a fine. An example of an animal welfare infringement would be an animal having to suffer because of a human being, such as being left in a hot car. Torturing or causing the death of an animal exceeds the threshold for an animal welfare offence.
If the offense involves extreme brutality or cruelty, it may be classified as aggravated. An ordinary animal offence is punishable by up to two years in prison, while the punishment for an aggravated animal offence can be up to four years of imprisonment.
“In Helsinki, the police are kept busy especially by off-leash dogs that bite people or other dogs. If a dog causes a disturbance while off leash, it is always at least a public order violation. If a person is injured due to a dog bite, it is a case of negligent bodily injury”, says Detective Chief Inspector Anne Hietala from the animal offence investigation unit of the Helsinki Police Department.
The police also investigate offences committed against wild animals. In hunting and fishing, for example, it is necessary to comply with the Animal Welfare Act, which states that an animal must not suffer unnecessarily. In the provinces, poaching also causes a lot of work for the police. In an urban environment, one example of an animal offence committed against wildlife could be the mistreatment of geese and other wild animals.
Illegal animal imports constitute a significant part of animal offences as a whole
The highest number of animals imported illegally to Finland are dogs and cats. In addition to the most common types of pets, exotic species are also being illegally imported and traded.
“For example, canaries and parrots are brought to Finland. It can also be assumed that undocumented reptiles, among others, are also imported to the country”, says Detective Chief Inspector Hietala.
Animals that end up in Finland by illegal means may have been kept and bred in poor conditions. The smuggler’s goal is to keep the animal alive only until it is sold. Animals are sold to unsuspecting buyers, for example, through sales sites on the Internet. It is common for a person to see a for-sale ad for an inexpensive puppy or kitten and to arrange a meeting with the seller.
The for-sale ad often states that the animal has been vaccinated and has all the required paperwork. After the sale, the owner may find out that the puppy has a disease, or it is discovered at the vet that the animal has not been microchipped or registered. A puppy imported from abroad may carry viruses or diseases that are dangerous to both animals and humans. Euthanising the animal may be the only option for the police and veterinarians if, for example, the documentation and origin of an imported puppy are unclear and there is a risk of disease.
Alarm bells should go off if:
- the seller is in a hurry to complete the transaction and is not interested in the kind of home that the buyer will be providing for the animal.
- the puppy is offered for you to take home immediately or its mother is not present.
- the transaction is set up to occur in a public place and no written agreement is prepared on the sale.
- the animal’s origin is not stated or the documentation is not in order.
Read more about the illegal importation of animals and its links to financial crime on the Vero website .
Everyone has a responsibility to report suspected animal mistreatment to a supervisory authority
The police monitor the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. However, the police are not always the body to contact when suspecting an animal offence. Supervisory veterinarians and animal welfare organisations play a key role in cooperation with the police. For example, if you notice that a neighbour is treating his or her dog in a negligent way, contact the local supervisory veterinarian first.
The police and supervisory authorities do not notice everything, and tip-offs and reports from citizens expose a large portion of the mistreatment committed against animals. In urgent cases, always call the emergency number 112.
