We demand better conditions for sled dogs

SEY demands that the Animal Welfare Act must be observed in the tourism industry and that there must be sufficient oversight to ensure it. The wellbeing of the animals must not be up to the benevolence of the operators. Clear rules and regulations protect both the animals and honest entrepreneurs.

We demand that

1. Veterinary care must be provided for the dogs when necessary.

2. The origin of the dogs must be traceable.

3. Puppies must be planned and accidental litters must be prevented. Sufficient time needs to be made for the socialisation of the puppies.

4. In general, the dogs must be suitable for sled dog business. Dogs which have thin fur or are otherwise unsuitable for safari work are not to be used.

5. The workload must be reasonable for the dogs. They must have sufficient amounts of downtime and days off. Their daily working time shouldn’t be too long and there needs to be a weight limit set for the burden the dogs are pulling.

6. The workforce must master the basics of dog handling and maintenance. Methods based on modern scientific knowledge must be used when training and for the treatment of the animals. Violent practices should be prohibited.

7. The living conditions of the dogs must enable species-specific behaviour.

8. The law must be observed when taking care of the dogs and illegal and established practices should not be allowed.

9. Water must be constantly available for the dogs at their location even during the winter.

10. Officials conducting animal protection control need to have a substantial increase in their operating conditions. Areas with many sled dog operators need a significant increase of veterinary inspectors or other means must be taken to ensure sufficient control.

11. Founding a sled dog operation should be subject to permission.

12. Common rules of operation need to be established for the industry, and the operators need to be bound to those rules. Yearly veterinary health checks should be a part of the supervision of the sled dog kennels (cf. Centralized Health Care Register for Finnish Cattle Herds).

13. Clear cold weather limits need to be established for the sled dog industry together with weight limits for the patrons pulled by the dogs.

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