Named the signs by which aggressive stray dogs will be euthanized

Homeless animal slaughter bill approved by government

The State Duma is considering a draft amendment to the federal law “On Responsible Treatment of Animals”, which has been in force since 2018. The document, introduced by the Legislative Assembly of the Altai Territory, proposes to allow animals to be killed if they pose a danger to others. Euthanasia for such indications is also allowed in shelters – at the conclusion of a veterinarian or zoopsychologist. Specialists of this profile explained to MK on what grounds dogs will be sentenced to death.

According to the bill, which may already be considered by the State Duma in the first reading on May 16, an animal can be killed “in case of necessary defense or in a state of emergency when protecting the life, health, rights of the defender or another person.” At the same time, the legislation on weapons and the “safety of others” must be observed.

In addition, it is proposed to add to the list of grounds for killing animals in shelters “manifestations of unmotivated aggressiveness towards other animals or a person, established by a specialist in the field of veterinary medicine together with a cynologist and (or) zoopsychologist, if a new owner has not been found for the animal within six months from the date of admission to the shelter. In institutions, of course, we are not talking about shooting, but about humane euthanasia.

“After quarantine measures and sterilization, neglected animals most often gather in packs, often show aggression, getting food for themselves or protecting their habitat, perceiving humans as a source of danger,” the explanatory note to the project states. Meanwhile, the model law “On the Treatment of Animals”, adopted by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, allows in some cases the killing of such animals, which is prohibited in the current version of the Russian law of 2018. It is on the basis of this model law that the Altai legislators propose to finalize the federal norms. At the same time, regional authorities will choose a specific policy regarding dogs.

“The criteria for unmotivated aggression, when it comes to a neglected animal, are quite vague,” Andrey Frolichev, a veterinarian from the Moscow region, told MK. – To pass a verdict, the veterinarian must observe the dog for some time: perhaps there is some kind of emergency situation for her, maybe one of the passers-by provoked the animal. Therefore, here, most likely, you can rely only on the actual attack. There is an attack with victims, which means we are writing aggression.

For shelter animals, the diagnosis of unmotivated aggressiveness is easier, since they are under the supervision of specialists, the MK interlocutor added. The criteria for a “death sentence” in this case are the lack of contact with keepers (employees and volunteers who visit and care for the animal), emotional instability, biting incidents.

– But, frankly, it is difficult to imagine that the staff of the shelters would ever often make such a diagnosis to animals, – the veterinarian summed up. – None of the animal rights activists wants to be murderers.

However, in some regions, this practice can take root, the specialist suggests. For example, in a number of regions bordering the Moscow region, the situation with stray dogs is so unfavorable that the authorities will use the legal opportunity to simply get rid of them.