The government will look after cats and dogs

In Russia, state regulation of breeding animals for sale, primarily dogs and cats, may be introduced. The corresponding bill was prepared by deputy Vladimir Burmatov (United Russia) – as he claims, to combat “apartment nurseries” and unscrupulous breeders. Zoodefenders and nursery owners interviewed by Kommersant support the initiative, but believe that coping with the shadow market for pets will not be easy even with legislative regulation.

Deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Ecology Vladimir Burmatov has prepared amendments (available to Kommersant) to the federal law “On the Responsible Treatment of Animals.” Mr. Burmatov proposes to give the government the right to “establish requirements for the breeding of animals, the conditions for their keeping and labeling,” as well as to establish “a list of cases in which the sale of animal offspring is allowed, and the procedure for their sale.” “The media regularly become aware of the facts of keeping dozens of animals in apartments and private houses, which are bred uncontrollably for commercial purposes, which, on the one hand, is cruelty to animals, and on the other hand, poses a problem for other residents who are forced to put up with such a neighborhood “, says the explanatory note to the document. There, the deputy reminds about the president’s instructions to regulate the activities of keeping and breeding domestic and wild animals. The order was given on May 15, 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources was appointed responsible for its implementation, but it has not yet been implemented, says the legislator.

In a conversation with Kommersant, Mr. Burmatov clarified that his bill regulates the issue of breeding specifically “non-productive animals,” that is, not related to agricultural purposes. “We are mainly talking, of course, about dogs and cats,” the deputy explained. The lack of government control in this area “leads to cruelty to animals, epidemics of diseases, including those transmitted to humans, and destructive consequences for offspring in general,” Mr. Burmatov is sure.

The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources did not respond to Kommersant’s request about their attitude to the initiative. However, Mr. Burmatov assured that the department knows about the bill and “approves it.” Moreover, the deputy said that the Ministry of Natural Resources tried several times to implement the president’s instructions, but the process was stalled because the department “tried to create a very cumbersome and multi-story bill and take into account a lot of nuances,” which, according to Vladimir Burmatov, should be included in the federal law shouldn’t. “The proposed text of the amendments is very flexible. Then it will be possible to fill it with by-laws that take into account the practice of professional dog handlers and the needs of the field, all the details will be there,” the deputy concluded.

Olga Kelly, director of the Beriginya center for helping homeless animals, confirms that in Russia there is a “black market of breeders” who supply thousands of supposedly purebred animals. “This is a boom in animal cruelty, since the “breeders” do not even comply with basic sanitary and veterinary requirements. Not to mention the science of breeding,” says the expert. “Moreover, this leads to a vicious circle.” Because buyers think: “Why don’t we do the mating ourselves in order to sell purebred kittens or puppies?” But they forget about the genetic mutations that arise in the process of such thoughtless matings.”

The lack of government control gives rise to an irresponsible approach to breeding, agrees Vitaly Nikiforov, president of the DogSelf canine center. “As a result, sick animals or animals that do not meet breed standards appear. They can simply be thrown away,” the expert complains. “Therefore, the entire canine community has long been in favor of not only establishing requirements for breeding dogs, but also for their mandatory registration. It should be similar to cars: there is a specific animal, there is its owner, there is its responsibility.” “Over the last week, two Maine Coons and a Sphynx were admitted to our center – all were found in serious condition on the street. And it is impossible to identify the owners and breeders, since the animals are not microchipped. There is no brand or other identification,” Ms. Kelly says indignantly.

It will be very difficult to get rid of “gray” breeders, even with legislative regulation, warns the owner of the French bulldog kennel “Nals Vista Wizard” Natalya Kirillova. The fact is that there is a real demand for their “products”. “For some reason, people have a stereotype in their heads that documents for animals cost a lot of money. Therefore, they say, it is much more profitable to buy a pet without them,” explains the breeder. “Although in reality this only speaks of the seller’s negligence – and a complete lack of guarantees and responsibility for the animal being sold.” Ms. Kirillova stated that the adoption of the amendments will not affect the work of responsible nurseries in any way, because they already register their animals. According to her, the community of professional breeders will support such an initiative.

Mr. Burmatov told Kommersant that the bill is now “in the Cabinet of Ministers.” “In case of a positive answer, which there is every reason to expect,” the deputy will submit it for consideration to the State Duma in the autumn session.

Polina Yachmennikova