You too can influence how Animalia works on behalf of animals. The larger the team, the louder the voice, and the more quickly we will make changes on behalf of animals. Horror does not help – only action makes a difference.

An Animalia membership can be your work on behalf of animals. Members are crucial to the continual progress of our work.

What is Animalia working on now?

Farm Animals

Animalia is campaigning on behalf of pigs and egg-laying hens, among others. Our recent campaigns Drop My Eggs and SäästäPossu! have raised awareness of the connection between farm animals and animal welfare.

An integral part of our work on behalf farm animals is to get businesses to consider animals and animal protection part of society’s responsibility, and to provide consumers with choices that would result in better lives for animals.

At this moment the EU is reforming regulations regarding both the slaughter and transport of animals. Animalia is working actively in making favorable amendments to the legislation. Our main targets are ritual slaughter (slaughter without stunning) and the prohibition of transporting animals on journeys lasting longer than eight hours.

As well we are actively working to ensure that factory farms and the consumption of animal products should be considered harmful to the environment, and that promoting vegetarianism should be part of state environmental policy.

Animals in experimentation

The EU recently reformed animal testing legislation, and the resultant directives now affect Finland’s own policies. Animalia encourages the EU to consider the most humane possibilities. Our priority is to ensure that once the ban is enacted in 2013, no one introduces cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

In Finland we actively lobby the nation to take steps in decreasing the use of animal tests and to develop alternative methods. The University of Tampere, for example, has been granted funding to establish a center for studying alternative methods of testing. However, to continue operating the center needs to secure long-term funding. Animalia is actively working to maintain funding for the work.

Additionally, we work to ensure that students have the opportunity, if they wish, to replace animals in their studies with secure alternative methods. We are working to end the use of animals in Botox-injection tests within the year.

Animalia maintains a list of cruelty-free cosmetics and cleaning supplies.

Fur animals

Animalia campaigns to end fur farming. Our Fur-Free Finland 2025 campaign aims to have fur farming banned in Finland no later than the year 2025.

We are also demanding changes to the methods of killing fur animals, as the legislation regarding slaughter is now being renewed in the EU. We have been actively involved in the ban on importing Canadian seal products into the EU-area. The ban has gathered force and seal hunting has plummeted in Canada.

In addition to working to reduce the amount of fur sold in Finland we maintain a list of fur-free clothing stores.

As well...

Animalia works continuously on behalf of animals through campaigns, public relations, training and consultation. We aim to improve animals’ conditions and welfare, as well as cultivate the attitude necessary for improving animal-protection legislation. We also provide advice on matters of local animal protection. Animalia does not condone the use of violence or vandalism in protecting animals.

Because animals cannot speak for themselves, a strong and expert organization is needed to lead animal causes in Finland. We oppose any treatment of animals that causes pain or distress or prevents them from performing their essential species­specific behaviors. Our ethical vision of animal rights is based on biological studies of animal behavior, both in Finland and elsewhere.

...campaigns

Animalia follows the work being done in animal tests in Finland, and points out their inherent flaws. We aim to get tests more strictly monitored in order to ensure that they are compliance with the test permits, to improve animals’ well being, and to decrease the amount of animal tests. Animalia has asked that every test committee include a representative who is familiar with animal welfare.

Animalia campaigns for responsible consumer choices. Everyone can illustrate their position on animal abuse by choosing cosmetics that have not been tested on animals, by choosing eggs that do not come from animals raised in battery cages, and by leaving fur products on store shelves. Pressure from consumers has brought about significant change: many international cosmetic companies have stopped conducting animal tests and are now testing their products through alternative methods.

Animal welfare in general has widespread support. In the autumn of 1996 over four million people from every part of the EU signed a petition to ban animal testing, which went into effect in 1998; in Finland over 80 000 signatures were acquired. Animalia’s petition to the EU to ban long-distance animal transport was signed by approximately 82 000 Finns in 2000-2001.

...consultation and training

Shortcomings in animal protection can be redressed by informing the public of matters of animal protection and by maximizing the public’s ability to make a difference. Animalia brings matters of animal protection to the forefront through the media, through discussions with authorities, and through public meetings and events. Local action groups and contact persons help publicize animal protection throughout Finland. Animalia hosts regular training sessions on various topics and the representatives collect data from courses and meetings both at home and abroad. Important information pertaining to animal protection is published in our magazine Animalia.

...consultation

Influencing legislation is one of Animalia’s primary goals. Partial victories have been made in animal welfare laws, hunting laws and animal testing. Animalia representatives have been involved in, among others, animal protection and the reform of the animal welfare workgroup and biotech advisory board. We keep in contact with both local politicians and representatives in parliament. Animalia is not committed to any one party, as the organization will work in partnership with anyone who is willing to further the cause of animal protection.

...internationally

Animalia is Finland’s representative in the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, the European Union’s umbrella group for various countries’ animal protection organizations. Animalia actively participates in group activities and conveys information regarding Finland’s decisions in animal protection to the EU.

Lobbying in concern to the European Union’s animal welfare laws and practices is crucial. Campaigns are needed in all EU countries in order to influence public opinion. For this reason, Animalia actively publicizes flaws in animal protection through the media and public demonstrations.