In 2006, animal lovers in Finland founded the non-profit organization "Viipurin Koirat RY". The goal of the organization is to support shelters for homeless animals in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad region. Over the years, volunteers have been helping Russian shelters with sterilization programs for stray dogs, providing food and medicine, assisting in building enclosures, and transporting dogs from Russia to Finland, where they find new homes.
The political situation and closed borders have not stopped Finnish volunteers, and they continue to help our four-legged friends as before. Last year, Viipurin Koirat brought 266 dogs and one cat from Russia to Finland.
After the closure of the Russian-Finnish border, volunteers began using the services of an animal transport company, whose route passes through Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia to Helsinki. The journey takes 2–3 days, which is significantly longer than the previous Vyborg–Vaalimaa route. The dogs travel in their crates in a vehicle equipped for transporting animals, with opportunities for walks during the trip. The journey from the shelter to a new home is a challenging trial, but for most dogs, it is worth it. However, for very timid dogs and those unaccustomed to leashes, the trip can be quite difficult. Since the reopening of the border is not expected soon, volunteers are exploring a shorter route through Estonia, which would take about a day.
With the introduction of new European Union regulations on animal imports, effective from September 2024, it has become even more difficult to transport stray dogs from Russia. Now a mandatory rabies antibody test is required, which will affect the number of dogs the organization can bring into Finland. In practice, each dog will have to stay in a Russian shelter for at least 4–5 months instead of 2–3 months as before. The minimum age for puppies to be transported to Finland will increase from 6 months to 7–8 months, as after the rabies antibody test in Russia, dogs will have to wait another 3 months before receiving travel permission.
Viipurin Koirat aims to test as many dogs as possible in advance so that they have a certificate with antibody test results, allowing them to travel to Finland soon after finding a new home.
In Finland, Viipurin Koirat does not have a shelter. All the dogs brought from Russia are placed in temporary foster homes with volunteers while they await their forever home. The selection of dogs takes place through the organization's website, where consultants conduct telephone interviews with potential adopters before a possible meeting with the dog.
Due to increased expenses, Viipurin Koirat has been forced to reduce its support for shelters, but they do not intend to stop. One of the main forms of support is sending food to shelters in the Vyborg district, as well as covering veterinary and medical expenses, for which the organization constantly requires financial support. At the moment, there is a record number of dogs in Finland awaiting their homes—almost 70 dogs, transported before the new import rules came into effect.
Find yourself a loyal friend and give them a new home and warmth via the link.
You can support the organization's activities financially via this link.
Become a member of Viipurin Koirat via this link.
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