Finnish parliament to consider leash law for cats
A petition has been submitted to one of the EU parliaments, proposing a ban on releasing domestic cats outside without a leash. According to this initiative, cats would not be allowed to roam outside the owner's property without proper supervision.
The authors of the petition are advocating for a change in Finnish law regarding cat care, suggesting that the definition of animal neglect should also include instances where cats are outside their owners' properties. They want the new law to prohibit keeping cats outdoors without a leash, even if they are in the owner's yard.
In their opinion, cats that leave the property without supervision should be treated as abandoned. According to "Interia", the authors of the petition want this ban to also cover situations where cats are in their own yard, if this area is located in a densely populated zone, where cats could pose a threat or cause issues.
It's worth noting that in Finland, the law already requires dogs to be leashed during outdoor walks, and the proposal aims to extend this requirement to cats.
Currently, in Finland, when citizens notice cats roaming outside properties, they can report this based on animal welfare regulations. However, according to the authors of the petition, these regulations are not sufficient, and the time required for the authorities to address the reports is too lengthy.
Finns want a ban on letting cats roam free
Therefore, the initiators are calling for changes in the law that would more specifically define that allowing cats to roam free would be considered a crime. The petition states that such an amendment would aim to "clarify the regulations and clearly criminalize keeping cats free-roaming."
According to the authors of the petition, free-roaming cats in Finland kill millions of wild animals each year, leading to significant ecological and financial losses. They emphasize that although the law currently allows for reporting such cases, there are still individuals who irresponsibly ignore their obligations towards their cats, citing unclear regulations.
According to "Interia", the petition was submitted as part of a civic initiative that allows eligible Finns to propose new laws and changes to existing regulations. For the initiative to reach parliament, it must gather at least 50,000 signatures within six months.
Although at the start of December, the number of signatures was around 35,000, in recent days, support for the initiative grew rapidly, and ultimately the number of signatures exceeded the required threshold of 50,000.
