HELSINKI FINLAND The Finnish Kennel Club honored Mäntsälä as Finland's most dog-friendly municipality during the Kuntamarkkinat event held in Helsinki on September 13 Kannus and Pello received honorable mentions This competition aims to promote dog-friendliness in municipalities across the country with one in every five households having a canine companion Dogs play an integral part in the lives of many providing opportunities for outdoor activities and hobbies "Local municipal services and dog-friendliness have a significant impact on the daily lives of dog owners and enthusiasts Good services facilitate activities such as dog walking dog enthusiasts can enrich municipalities by organizing events and activities that attract people from all over Finland Not to mention that dogs accompany Finns over two million times daily and are cherished family members," emphasized Esa Kukkonen Chairman of the Finnish Kennel Club's Board The "Finland's Most Dog-Friendly Municipality" competition assessed municipalities' dog-friendliness from three perspectives: the quality of municipal dog services the overall dog-friendliness of the municipality and how dogs and dog enthusiasts are considered in decision-making Municipalities responded to a total of 14 questions via an electronic form based on which the competition jury selected the awardees named the most dog-friendly municipality in Finland has demonstrated exceptional dog-friendliness and support for dog owners in various aspects of daily life The municipality actively collaborates with dog enthusiasts and has attracted diverse businesses serving the needs of a broader range of dog owners Mäntsälä provides spaces for dog enthusiasts to use offering diverse outdoor options such as jogging trails The municipality has strategically placed waste bins along these routes and provides dog waste bags for the convenience of dog owners the municipality has plans for the construction of two training and practice halls all of which have ample opportunities for operation and indoor arenas within the municipality for various dog-related activities "Mäntsälä Municipality is genuinely delighted and proud of this fantastic recognition received in the Kennel Club competition Our goal is to provide the best everyday life for our residents it's important to us that the daily life of our furry family members goes smoothly and comfortably Mäntsälä offers an excellent range of services and great opportunities for various dog-related activities both for leisure and more competitive dog sports," said Hannu Laurila The competition for Finland's most dog-friendly municipality received a total of 18 applications including both growing cities and small rural municipalities The jury faced a challenging decision due to the high-quality applications two municipalities received honorable mentions one of the municipalities receiving an honorable mention has made dog-friendliness a significant attraction for a small rural town with various training services available within the municipality The town also features dog-related businesses and dogs enjoy versatile outdoor facilities The municipality is currently constructing a 1.4-hectare dog park the other municipality with an honorable mention active community that has elevated the importance of dogs as exercise partners and people's best friends Dogs have access to diverse outdoor activities including extensive cross-country skiing trails during winter The municipality provides regular dog waste bins along its pedestrian pathways and offers dog waste bags An active dog hobby club collaborates closely with the municipality A shared hall within the municipality hosts dog-related businesses and is available to dog enthusiasts at an affordable cost The municipality's primary education uses the hall as a sports facility during physical education classes and the municipality regularly provides the area's kennel club with a rental agreement The Finnish Kennel Club's "Finland's Most Dog-Friendly Municipality" competition is part of the "Koira kansalaisena" (Dog as a Citizen) theme year during which the Kennel Club highlights the significance of dogs in society and seeks to improve their status The competition's jury included Jussi Liimatainen a member of the Kennel Club's board and leader of the "Koira kansalaisena" theme year Honorary Chairman of the Finnish Kennel Club Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy