The University of Oulu and Going Green are addressing the debate surrounding sled dog activities: there are many animal tourism companies in Finland that are committed to responsible business practices.
Recent disclosures about the operations of a sled dog company and accounts from industry workers have raised deep concerns. Descriptions from former employees about malnourished dogs in such poor condition that they bite their feeders, and whose health is seriously neglected, are shocking. These claims raise serious questions about the well-being and safety of both animals and humans. This is not just a case of unethical practices, but also a violation of the law. The media outlet Ikkunapaikka has also highlighted this issue in its reporting, playing an important role in shedding light on the challenges that still exist in Finland's tourism sector.
However, we also want to highlight the research and development projects in Finland aimed at improving the well-being of animals used in tourism. Experts from the University of Lapland's Multidimensional Tourism Institute have been working for several years to integrate animal welfare into the development and implementation of responsible tourism services. A significant portion of this work was conducted in the now-concluded “Animals and Responsible Tourism” project funded by Business Finland and the “Animal Welfare in Tourism Services” project funded by the EU. Currently, the University of Lapland continues this research in the PAWWS project (People and Animal Wellbeing at Work and in Society) funded by the Academy of Finland, in collaboration with Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. Since 2023, research on animal welfare in tourism has also been conducted at the Oulu Business School at the University of Oulu.
In cooperation with the University of Lapland, Going Green Oy, and tourism companies interested in sustainability, the first Finnish criteria for the care and working conditions of sled dogs and reindeer in the tourism sector were established in 2021 and 2022. These criteria are part of the domestic Green Activities eco-certification and require certified companies to commit to monitoring the working hours and health of tourism animals, ensuring exercise and enriching leisure activities during the summer, and continuously training staff on sustainability issues. Transparent communication of responsibility to customers is also a basic requirement of the certification. Compliance with the criteria is verified through regular on-site audits. As part of staff orientation, companies will also be required to provide guidelines on reporting channels for notifying if practices deviate from certification standards.
Currently, 14 animal program service companies have achieved the Green Activities certification, with many others on the certification path. The development of the criteria is ongoing, and during the summer of 2024, we collected stakeholder suggestions for new criteria. Anyone interested in this issue is warmly welcome to participate. The knowledge gained from research on the welfare of animals in tourism will also be used to define the requirements, and certified companies are often at the forefront of advocating for stricter criteria.
We are pleased to say that many animal-based tourism companies in Finland are committed to responsibility.
Note: The post was originally published in Ikkunapaikka (10.9.2024) and co-authored with Mari Mero (Going Green Oy).
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