A citizens' initiative calling for the protection of animals to be written into the Finnish constitution has garnered the required 50,000 signatures, and will be debated by lawmakers in Parliament.
The initiative proposes writing new legislation to cover issues such as safeguarding the fundamental rights of animals, protecting the rights of wild animals and animals that depend on human care, as well as a ban on harmful breeding.
"The interests and individual needs of animals must be taken into account in all private and public activities that have a significant impact on their living conditions or chances of survival," the initiative states, which was instigated by the Finnish Animal Rights Law Society.
"The constitution protects animals in countries such as Germany and Brazil, but such protection has not been seen in Finland. As it stands, the Finnish constitution does not mention animals at all," according to Visa Kurki, the society's vice-president.
The deadline for collecting signatures in support of the initiative is 27 August, and once the number of signatures has been verified and approved, the initiative will be submitted to Parliament.
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