Matkahuolto - Animal transports

Animal transports

Decree on the Transport of Animals 28.6.1996/491

based on sections 29 and 30 of the Animal Welfare Act (247/96) enacted on 4 April 1996 on presentation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Limitations

Dogs, cats and other pets of equivalent size may not be carried as bus freight. They may only be transported inside the passenger compartment accompanied by the owner or other person.

Exceptions

Living aquarium fish, snakes and some other species may be carried as bus freight in the cargo hold. The consignor must, however, package the animals properly to provide safe conditions for the duration of the trip. If the animal needs to maintain a steady temperature, the packaging must include heat or cold bags. The package must be closed to ensure that the animal cannot escape during transportation.

Animals are carried as bus freight subject to the following conditions designed to ensure safety:

Instructions for shipping animals

Animals are always sent as Express Parcels.
The charge is the express freight rate + 200%.
Animals cannot be sent COD.
Animals are only accepted for carriage by bus subject to prior agreement.
The consignor will always be informed of the exact timetable. The maximum period of time between the acceptance of the animal for carriage and its release to the consignee may not exceed 12 hours unless otherwise agreed. Animal transports are only recommended for short and direct routes.
If the animal is not visible from outside the transport packaging, it must be marked to indicate content: write the word "eläimiä" (animals) on the package and draw arrows to show the correct transport and handling position.
The telephone numbers of the consignee and consignor must be included on the address card.
The dispatching terminal will fax the address card information to any transfer points and the point of destination.

Please note: Matkahuolto is always responsible for guaranteeing the transfers between individual legs of the journey, whereas the customer is responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.

Carriage by bus

During the trip, the diver is the person responsible for the wellbeing of the animal

Cost of additional measures

If an animal consignment is not collected from the point of destination by the specified time, Matkahuolto will have the right to charge the cost of securing safe conditions for the animal to the consignee. Matkahuolto will not accept responsibility for any additional costs incurred by the consignor or consignee due to a change in the timetable if the designated bus refuses to accept the animal transport. Matkahuolto must promptly inform the consignor and consignee of any timetable changes.

Claim for damages

To access and complete the claims form, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded from Adobe's website free of charge.

Complete and print the claims form. Sign it and send it to your nearest Matkahuolto service outlet.

Parcel services