New Russian law forbids killing & mistreating animals, restricts petting zoos & illegal circuses

We are responsible for those we tame. And it’s now a law in Russia as Vladimir Putin put his signature under new legislation, which bans killing, pitting and other forms of mistreatment of animals.

The Law on Responsible Treatment of Animals prohibits the killing of animals “under any pretext.” It also outlaws shooting or poisoning stray dogs and cats, which has been happening in many Russian cities in recent years. Homeless animals are to be captured, sterilized, vaccinated and released with a special microchip.

Organizing animal fights and hounding beasts at other animals or people has also been made illegal.

The law orders pets to be kept in proper conditions by their masters. It bans contact or petting zoos from being opened at the malls, which is a common thing across Russia, as well as hosting animals at bars and restaurants.

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In April, two bears escaped from a café and caused major havoc in Yaroslavl Region. One of the animals was captured, but the other went to the village and had to be shot dead.

The law makes life harder for numerous semi-legal circuses across Russia, which often use dangerous wild animals in their shows. In October, Russia was shocked after a lioness attacked a four-year-old girl during a traveling circus performance in Krasnodar Region. The child survived but suffered lacerated wounds to the face and other injuries.

The wild animals owned in violation of the law and without a proper license will from now be seized by the state. Hosting them at flats, residential homes and country houses has also been banned.

The new legislation states that an animal can’t be simply thrown into the street, but “should be passed to a new owner or the shelter.” Camels, ostriches and other exotic creatures have been recently found in the wild in Russia after their disingenuous masters disposed of them.

Dog owners will also face some restrictions as the law obliges them to walk their companions only in specially designated areas. It also allows punishing those, who refuse to pick up feces left by their pets in the street, with fines.

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The legislation, aimed at protecting animal rights, was first introduced to the parliament in 2010 and has taken almost eight years to be finalized by the lawmakers.

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