Dead animals

Dead pets

Dead pets should be buried or cremated. There is no pet cemetary in the Pirteva area, but the nearest one is in the Rautaharkko area of Tampere.

There are two pet crematoriums in the Pirteva area. Many veterinary clinics will take dead pets to be cremated on the owner’s behalf. If you want to know the cause of your pet’s death, you can send the corpse directly or via a veterinarian to the Finnish Food Authority for a post-mortem examination.

Dead wild animals

A wild animal that was found dead can be buried if it smells or causes other nuisance. Small wild animals can be disposed of in your household’s general waste bin. Large animal carcasses, like elk, can be taken to approved landfills or incinerators if you have confirmed beforehand that the facility accepts carcasses. The person to whom the carcass causes problems is responsible for paying for the burial or disposal fees.

If you find a dead wild boar, elk, or a group of dead wild birds you must report it promptly to the local municipal veterinarian. Wild boars that are found dead are taken to the Finnish Food Authority’s Helsinki branch for examination.

If a dead wild animal is suspected to have had a contagious disease, it must be buried. Caught fish and any gutting waste produced must also be buried if it is infested with parasites to prevent the infestation from spreading.

Burial

Burying an animal must be done in a place where the risks to human and animal health and to the environment are minimal. You will also need the land owners permission.

When choosing a burial site you should ensure there are no plans to plow or dig on site in the near future. Sites that are near ground water, less that 250 meters from a well, in a protected water abstraction area, or on a hill that slopes towards natural waters, are not suitable burial sites. Dead animals must always be buried at least 1 meter deep and covered immediately, so that foxes, rats, or other animals cannot access the corpse.

If necessary, the corpse must be disinfected or calcified before burying in order to kill any pathogens.

Use only biodegradable materials to wrap the corpse. Do not use plastic bags or other non-decaying materials. You must also abide by the Environmental Protection Act and the Health Protection Act laws when burying an animal.