Dogs sent to investigation – Kommersant Saratov

The veterinary service of the Astrakhan region sent an appeal to the environmental prosecutor’s office of the region, pointing out the possible corpus delicti under the article “Cruelty to animals” in the actions of employees of Ecopriyut LLC, which catches and keeps stray animals. This was reported to Kommersant-Middle Volga in the veterinary service. The prosecutor’s office, in turn, sent the materials to the police. In the shelter, the supervisory authorities are already checking the case when several dozen corpses of dogs with visible injuries were taken out of there. The head of Ecoshelter claims that animals die from diseases and rabies and there are no serious violations in the activities of the organization.

The veterinary service of the Astrakhan region sent an appeal to the environmental prosecutor’s office of the region, in which it indicated that the actions of the employees of Ecopriyut LLC could be seen as an element of “cruel treatment of animals” (Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This was reported to Kommersant-Middle Volga in the regional veterinary service.

Olga Anashkevich, Deputy Head of the Department for Supervision in the Field of Treatment of Animals, Conducting Measures in the Field of Safety of Products of Animal Origin, Controlling Epizootic Monitoring of the Regional Veterinary Service, explained to Kommersant-Middle Volga that the appeal to the environmental prosecutor’s office appeared after an audit that was carried out at the end of last week carried out by employees of the service and the environmental oversight agency. Ms. Anashkevich refused to explain what specific actions of Ecopriyut LLC employees may fall under the scope of a criminal offense, referring to the fact that such conclusions are within the competence of law enforcement agencies.

In the environmental prosecutor’s office of the Astrakhan region, “Kommersant-Middle Volga” said that the materials of the check were sent to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Astrakhan region for a decision. Zarif Shamshutdinov, Deputy Prosecutor of the Astrakhan Interdistrict Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, told Kommersant-Middle Volga that his department had identified shortcomings in the work of Ecopriyut LLC several times, and they were partially eliminated. Materials on a number of them are now sent to the court. According to him, last week an inspection showed that there was no electricity and no ventilation on the territory of Ecopriyut. The veterinary service considered that such conditions could be regarded as cruelty to animals, said the deputy environmental prosecutor.

At the end of November, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Astrakhan Region already reported about verification on signs of cruelty to animals after dozens of dog corpses with signs of mutilation were brought to the territory of a cattle burial ground in the Privolzhsky district of the Astrakhan region in a car belonging to Ecopriyut LLC for disposal. “All legally significant circumstances of the incident are established, as well as individuals and legal entities possibly involved in the event. A number of biological objects seized on the spot will be sent for veterinary examination,” the police said. A similar check was also reported in the regional prosecutor’s office. Neither the police nor the prosecutor’s office reported on the results of the check, and both departments have not yet responded to a request from Kommersant-Middle Volga. According to the environmental prosecutor’s office, an examination that would show the cause of the death of animals has not yet been completed.

According to the Astrakhan administration, as of August this year, there were about 17,000 stray dogs in the city, and only 2,500 of them were microchipped. In general, in the region, according to the regional veterinary service, there were about 24,000 stray dogs on the streets. There were more than 2,000 animals in shelters (300 in the municipal, 1936 in four private ones, including Ecopriyut). The city animal shelter for 300 places is located in Astrakhan on the border of the city and the Narimanov district, it is on the balance sheet of the Clean City MBU.

Last week, the Astrakhan Regional Duma Committee on Infrastructure Development and Construction approved the bill of the region’s governor Igor Babushkin on the construction of another shelter for 30 million rubles. in the Privolzhsky district of the region.

Astrakhan animal rights activist Yevgenia Zarinsh told Kommersant-Middle Volga that animal corpses continue to be removed from the territory of Ecoshelter.

“Literally today, a Gazelle left, which headed for the cattle burial ground. We collect information, but they don’t let us into the territory of the shelter, they don’t explain anything. Why animals die, we do not know. Apparently, they point to a natural death, but if they are not fed, they will die a “natural death,” said Ms Zarins.

The general director of Ecopriyut LLC Valery Kushchenko told Kommersant-Middle Volga that the investigating authorities are constantly working out the appeals of animal rights activists, but no violations by the organization have been identified. “Not a single examination showed that the animals died from injuries, they all died from diseases,” Mr. Kushchenko explained. According to him, last week there were power outages in the shelter, there was no heating, which the veterinary service drew attention to. Heat guns have now been purchased.

According to Valery Kushchenko, the dogs that were taken out of the shelter in November were found to have rabies, after which a quarantine was declared there. “We are localizing the focus of the disease, veterinarians are constantly on duty, but animal rights activists are blocking our work. The corpses of dead animals must be taken out as a particularly dangerous cargo, but every time we try to do this, activists block the movement of the car, try to remove the corpses, prevent the removal of biological waste and spread negative information,” Mr. Kushchenko explained.

According to him, “about 90 heads” of animals have died from rabies to date, veterinarians and employees of the regional veterinary department are constantly present at the shelter.

Sergei Petunin