Finnish animal rescue group’s bank accounts frozen, threatening stray dog operations

A long-running Finnish charity that rescues stray dogs from Russia has had its bank accounts frozen, halting its ability to transfer funds and threatening the welfare of hundreds of dogs in Russian shelters, Yle reports.

The Viipuri Dogs association, which has operated for 20 years and rehomes 160–260 dogs annually in Finland, discovered on April 8 that Nordea Bank had closed its accounts and terminated its customer relationship. The group suspects the decision is linked to its work in Russia, where it supports shelters near the Finnish border.

“We only found out when donations started bouncing back,” said Aino Arjas, the association’s executive director. The group is now attempting to open accounts with another bank but faces uncertainty. “Banks today are extremely cautious, and an organisation like ours may be seen as high-risk.”

Nordea declined to comment on individual cases, citing banking secrecy, but stated that service restrictions are “never imposed without thorough justification.”

The freeze leaves 500 dogs in three Russian shelters—located in Vyborg (Viipuri), Svetogorsk, and Kamennogorsk—at risk of starvation within weeks, Arjas warned. The association has already arranged adoptions in Finland for some of the dogs, but transport is now in jeopardy.

Founded in 2006, Viipuri Dogs scaled back operations after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, focusing only on essential aid. The group currently has 46 foster dogs placed across Finland and had planned further transfers from Vyborg.

Without access to funds, the association cannot cover shelter costs, veterinary care, or transport for the dogs still in Russia.