Court dismisses animal welfare charges against employees of Finnish Guide Dog School in Espoo

The North Savo District Court has dismissed charges against two employees of the Finnish Guide Dog School. The court found that, with one exception, the alleged animal welfare violations were not sufficiently substantiated. Evidence existed for one incident of a dog being hit in August 2018, but this charge was also dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

The male and female employees were accused of assaulting and treating the dogs they trained cruelly, such as pulling them with a choking collar. These alleged offenses occurred between 2017 and 2019 in Espoo, Vantaa, Helsinki, and Mäntsälä, during guide dog handover situations.

According to the prosecution, the male employee struck a dog on the head twice and unnecessarily pulled a dog by its leash. He was also suspected of unnecessarily frightening one of the dogs he trained by striking a traffic sign. The court noted that this was part of a training exercise aimed at teaching the dog to navigate obstacles, emphasizing that no alternative method for this training was presented.

The court dismissed the charge of unnecessary pulling on the leash, stating that there was no evidence that it caused the dog pain, suffering, or distress as required for an animal welfare violation.

The female employee was accused of repeatedly kicking a dog in the knee and pulling it by the choking collar, causing harm. However, the court found no evidence supporting either claim.

The prosecution’s request for a corporate fine against the Finnish Guide Dog School was also dismissed, as there was no indication that the company’s director permitted or was even aware of the incidents. Consequently, the company was not held liable.

The court ordered the state to pay around €40,500 in legal costs for the parties involved. The verdict is not yet final.

The director of the Finnish Guide Dog School, Sakari Pekkanen, lauded the court’s decision, seeing it as the only possible outcome. He claims the ordeal, which he describes as a witch hunt instigated by a competitor, has consumed hundreds of thousands of euros of taxpayer money. Pekkanen is now awaiting the prosecutor’s decision on whether to appeal before discussing further actions with his attorney.