Russia has decided to kill "unclaimed" stray animals

The People's Khural of Buryatia (Russia) has authorised putting to sleep stray animals that have failed to find owners within 30 days, the regional parliament's website reports.

The explanatory note to the law says that in 2023 only 10% of animals managed to find new owners. Now in the shelters of Buryatia there are more than three thousand dogs.

It is reported that animals without owners will be placed in temporary detention centres for 30 days from the moment of capture. There they will be killed as "unnecessary".

Among other reasons for putting to sleep are called - incurable or dangerous for people disease of the animal, its "unmotivated aggression, dangerous for society behaviour, inability to adapt, intolerable physical suffering". At the same time, the law does not provide a clearly defined definition of what constitutes "socially dangerous" behaviour of an animal.

In the explanatory note to the bill, killing is called "a more humane method of dealing with neglected animals" than leaving them on the street.

Similar bills are going to be adopted by the authorities of Stavropol, Transbaikalia and Magadan region. In July, the State Duma passed a law allowing regions to decide what to do with stray animals.

It should be noted that in July 2023, deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a law according to which regions may independently regulate measures taken in relation to stray dogs and cats.