Maria Degtereva Dog life On fines for the behavior of pets 24.05.2023, 08:09

The State Duma supported the introduction of fines for dog bites. Amendments were made to the draft law on administrative liability for improper treatment of pets. For bites and damage to property, citizens will pay from 10 to 30 thousand rubles, officials – from 50 to 100 thousand, organizations – from 100 to 200 thousand rubles.

The numbers are impressive, but let’s see if such a solution is needed.

The first and most important thing to know is that, contrary to popular belief, the majority of people suffer from the bites of domestic dogs, not stray dogs. The spread of statistical data is quite extensive, but this fact has not been denied by any publication and not a single researcher. Almost all of the high profile cases we read in the papers (“homeless herd attacking NN”) are about pets, anyone can Google statistics and research, all information is open.

Now the same State Duma has passed a law, in the first reading, under which stray dogs will be euthanized in some areas. In other words, changes were made in the OSSV law, where regional and municipal authorities could decide on euthanasia instead of sterilizing and releasing animals. And it has a kind of revolutionary and inhuman color: euthanasia of animals has been banned in Russia in recent years.

Let me translate it into Russian: statistics on pet dog bites are increasing, and authorities are planning to euthanize stray animals.

There are of course less problems with them, they will not object, no one will run to court and there will be no problems. And by the way, what is written on paper – about humane and painless methods of euthanasia – a separate conversation. More than a dozen materials have appeared in the media on the subject – how unfortunate stray dogs in the deep regions actually survived their lives. How the terms of municipal tenders and all the unimaginable norms are violated, how the animals that the state allows to kill are dying so painfully. Actually, for this reason, the OSSV law, which is now being amended at the initiative of individual governors, was passed. But this column is not about that.

And about the fact that the statistics on dog attacks on the streets are really scary in places. And I think one of the main reasons is that the owners are not responsible for their animals. Now a negligent owner whose dog bites passers-by will pay from 1,000 to 2,000 rubles for precedent. By the way, in the southern regions, for example, animals are the norm in themselves. In the private sector, where the vast majority of attacks are recorded, it’s common for the owner’s dog to wander unattended.

And with the introduction of fines, this situation can be radically reversed.

Moreover, this is how they solved the problem in Europe. Penalties for improper treatment there are much higher than we planned to bring our legislator.

I strongly believe that the owner is always responsible for the aggressive behavior of dogs. And until recently, there was almost no liability provision.

The author of this column is categorically against euthanasia of stray dogs, both because he carefully studied the statistics and knows how many government initiatives are implemented in our country. In Soviet times this was called “extremism in the field”.

And by the way, the author of this column, who owns a dog, warmly welcomes the idea of ​​\u200b\u200busing a fine. Finally, the responsibility will be borne by those who carry it – the lazy and disorganized owners. Perhaps before you take an animal and let it run into the garden, someone will think: is it necessary?

And dogs and bitten people in our country will have less of this misfortune.

The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the editors’ position.