Russia Passes Extensive Animal Cruelty Ban; But Still Plans To Label Specific Dog Breeds As “Dangerous”

It took eight years to pass, but a bill signed into law recently now bans all forms of animal cruelty in Russia.

As per TASS, a Russian news agency, the new law is based on the “responsible, ethical, and humane treatment of animals.”

The comprehensive legislation, reportedly signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and uploaded to the official online database of Russian legislative information, includes: banning petting zoos, animal fighting, keeping exotic animals as pets, and housing animals in bars and restaurants.

The law also bans the killing of stray dogs and cats, which will now be placed in shelters instead. It further stipulates that the capturing of stray animals must be recorded on cameras and information about them must be made public.

Strict rules of pet ownership have also been established under the new legislation.

Walking dogs in designated areas and fining owners for failing to pick up after them are among the new stipulations that will be regulated by “public inspectors” who are tasked with recording violations and sending them to government oversight authorities.

The document also stipulates, as noted by TASS, that dogs of “potentially dangerous breeds” must be muzzled and on a leash while taken on a walk. The only exception is when a dog is on its owner’s private property, which must be marked with a warning sign.

The list of “dangerous breeds” is being compiled by the Russian government.

Sadly, this does not reflect the dog owner’s responsibility to properly raise an animal that is NOT dangerous.

Some of the most docile and sweetest dogs that WAN has met are unfairly-labeled-as-dangerous, including pit bulls.

“It’s not the dog, it’s the human.”