Serious deficiencies uncovered at Ridenorth dog kennel in Inari leading to euthanization of several dogs

Serious deficiencies have been revealed in the animal care practices at the Ridenorth dog kennel in Inari, leading to the euthanization of several dogs. The issues at the husky business were first reported by Lapin Kansa in July, when former employees shared accounts of poor treatment of the animals and staff. Following the publication, numerous animal welfare complaints were filed with the municipal veterinarians of Inari and Utsjoki.

Eva Anunti, the supervising veterinarian for the Inari and Utsjoki regions, told Yle that it became apparent the company possibly had a second dog kennel in Karigasniemi, of which authorities were previously unaware. She stated, “We learned in July that Ridenorth might have a place with multiple dogs in need of care.”

A visit from the police and a supervising veterinarian uncovered numerous injuries and illnesses among the dogs, with some lacking adequate shelter from the sun during heatwaves in July. Satu Natunen, the owner and chairperson of Ridenorth, claims the dogs were only temporarily housed in Karigasniemi. She contended there was no official kennel and that the dogs were merely being moved around.

Natunen admitted that many of the dogs were old and in poor condition. She has a previous conviction for animal cruelty in Norway, where two horses she owned were found starved to death in 2015. According to Anunti, not all dogs were microchipped, contravening a law that came into force last year requiring all dogs to be registered.

After a follow-up inspection in August, the supervising veterinarian found the dog kennels abandoned and empty, with all dogs relocated to other facilities for better care. Anunti confirmed they had collaborated with veterinarians from other regions to track the dogs’ whereabouts, assuring that they had not disappeared.