Chancellor says hunting dog training must not make wild boars suffer

Training hunting dogs with wild boars must not cause the animals pain or suffering, the Chancellor of Justice’s Office said, according to ERR. It also said the state should clarify the rules, which are currently unclear.

A regulation issued by the regional minister in May four years ago on measures to prevent and control African swine fever made an exception to the ban on keeping pigs outdoors for wild boars held for hunting dog training.

The Estonian Animal Protection Union asked the Chancellor of Justice to assess whether the regulation complies with the Animal Protection Act. It also said there is no legal basis for using wild boars kept in artificial conditions to train hunting dogs and that no detailed training requirements have been set.

Olari Koppel, a deputy adviser to the Chancellor of Justice, said the outdoor-keeping ban is a biosecurity measure and the minister may make exceptions if they comply with EU law and do not undermine efforts to prevent animal diseases. He said there was no reason to consider the exception for hunting dog training inconsistent with those conditions.

However, Koppel said the regulation creates an exception only to the outdoor-keeping ban. It does not authorize the use of wild boars in training or permit activities prohibited by the Animal Protection Act. The absence of a specific provision does not itself make the activity illegal, he said, provided other rules are followed and the animal’s welfare is protected.

The law does not set out a separate legal basis or detailed requirements for training hunting dogs with live wild boars. The activity is governed primarily by the Nature Conservation Act and general animal welfare requirements.

If training cannot be conducted without causing an animal pain or suffering, the government cannot make it permissible through a regulation, guidance or administrative practice, Koppel said. Only parliament could decide by law whether the purpose and benefits of the training justify an exception to the existing prohibition.

Koppel said the regional and climate ministries should set the training conditions in legislation, rather than only in guidance or explanatory documents, to ensure compliance with animal welfare requirements and provide legal clarity.