On May 23, the State Duma will review in the second reading a bill that introduces administrative fines for failing to meet animal care requirements and for dog bites. The changes, proposed by the State Duma Ecology Committee, add three new provisions to the Administrative Offenses Code dealing with proper animal treatment.
bite penalty
The proposed measure sets fines for owners whose pets bite a person or cause minor harm. Fines range from 10,000 to 200,000 rubles in total. Under Article 8.52, an owner may be punished if the animal bites or injures someone. Citizens could face 10,000 to 30,000 rubles, officials 50,000 to 100,000 rubles, and organizations 100,000 to 200,000 rubles. If the animal was in someone else’s custody or was stolen at the time of the incident, the owner would not be fined.
Vladimir Burmatov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Ecology Committee and a co author of the initiative, noted that officials responsible for building city shelters for stray animals could be held accountable if they fail to act. He added that 40 percent of bites involve animals that are owned. Responsibility for a biting pet is now determined by regional authorities. In some cases criminal articles may apply, such as causing grievous bodily harm through negligence under Article 118 of the Criminal Code, according to the Nika Foundation for Homeless Animals. Activists support measures like a ban on self walking, mandatory registration for every pet, a breeding license, and prioritized sterilization to improve the situation with stray animals. They also emphasize educational campaigns in cities and schools to instruct residents on how to handle stray dogs and avoid approaching them on streets and in gardens.
Bad content and abuse
The bill also addresses cases where owners abandon their pets rather than seeking shelter or rehoming. The new rules would punish such behavior. Under the law on responsible treatment of animals, a person should not release an animal except by transferring it to another owner or giving it to a shelter, Burmatov explained. Fines for citizens would range from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles, for officials 5,000 to 15,000 rubles, and for legal entities 15,000 to 30,000 rubles. Violations of cruel treatment in certain situations fall under existing criminal provisions. Article 245 of the Penal Code covers cruelty, including acts that kill or seriously harm an animal, with separate penalties for more serious offenses. Burmatov warned that people who commit cruelty often evade responsibility. The new rules propose fines of 5,000 to 15,000 rubles for citizens, 15,000 to 30,000 rubles for officials, and 50,000 to 100,000 rubles for legal entities, depending on the circumstances.
Responsibility of circuses, zoos and shelters
The draft adds Article 8.53 to address the use of animals for cultural and recreational purposes. It would set fines for individuals from 3,000 to 15,000 rubles, for officials from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles, and for organizations from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles. If zoos and circuses employ unlicensed or improperly licensed animals, the responsible executive could face fines from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles, while legal entities could be fined 100,000 to 200,000 rubles. The proposal also contemplates a new Article 8.54 to regulate how shelters handle animals, with fines for citizens from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, for officials from 5,000 to 15,000 rubles, and for legal entities from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. Pavel Krasheninnikov, a co author and chair of the State Construction Committee, expressed confidence that the bill would foster more responsible and humane treatment of animals.
The Long Way to Invoice
The bill was submitted for consideration on July 16, 2021. Lawmakers approved it in the first reading on October 27, 2021, but progress stalled before. The authors reported that approvals were completed only recently. Debate resumed after a measure allowing districts to decide their own approach to stray animals passed in another bill. The current initiative would enable regional authorities to, among other steps, authorize euthanasia under certain circumstances. A second reading could occur by May 30, with a provision to penalize self walking included in regional legislation. Burmatov highlighted the topic’s relevance to various regions, noting that Kalmykia faces many stray dogs while larger cities have fewer.