Veterinarians must report mistreatment and illegal import of animals.
In their work, veterinarians may encounter situations where the patient's illness, injuries, general condition or other factors raise suspicions that the animal has been treated against the law. According to the Act on Access to and Pursuit of the Profession of Veterinary Surgeon (29/2000; 12§), veterinarians are obliged to report their suspicions to the supervisory authority. According to the same Act, veterinarians must report, if they suspect that the animal has been imported to Finland against import requirements.
A veterinarian's duty to report arises, for example, when
- the injury of the animal could not have arisen as described by the owner
- the animal is starving and suffers from a lack of nourishment or other appropriate care
- there is discrepancy or illogicality concerning the import of the animal
In cases of illegal import, information from the owner on the origin of the animal is often key. An imported animal may not always exhibit the symptoms of a combatable animal disease, but this does not affect the duty of the veterinarian to report their suspicions.
Veterinarians must report animal diseases
If a veterinarian detects or suspects that an animal they are caring for has a disease, the spread of which is being resisted in Finland, they must report this. More information on this obligation and the diseases to be reported can be found on this page: https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/elaimet/elainten-terveys-ja-elaintaudit/elaintautien-vastustaminen-ja-valvonta/elaintaudeista-ilmoittaminen/ (in Finnish)
The obligation to report also applies to confidential information
Veterinarians are obliged to notify authorities without delay of any case under their care or of any observations they have made at an animal holding place. The authority has the right to receive all such information notwithstanding any confidentiality provisions. These obligations and rights have been stated in the 12 § of the Act on Access to and Pursuit of Veterinary Surgeon. The obligation applies to every veterinarian who practises their profession, regardless of whether they are employed as a private practitioner or in official capacity.
Creating an obligation to report does not require certainty that it is an illegal activity or a certain diagnosis of a disease. The authority will investigate the matter and, if necessary, take further measures, such as carry out an inspection.
More information:
- Animal welfare control
- Reporting animal diseases (in Finnish)
- Illegal import (in Finnish)