This year the law “On Responsible Treatment of Animals” came into force. In Belarus, the document was discussed for a long time, with involvement of specialists from various agencies and animal rights activists. In the latest episode of BelTA’s YouTube project “After the Fact: Lukashenko’s Decisions” we will tell what actions towards animals Lukashenko calls an outrage. What is considered “mutilation” according to the new law? How does the shelter for homeless animals work in Minsk?
How many crimes against animals are registered in Belarus?
The statistics are disappointing: 17 criminal offenses against animals were registered in Belarus in 2020. In 2021, there were already 31. Violators paid fines and were even thrown behind bars. But stillthe legal framework was lacking.
“Probably the key provision and key message of this law are about responsible attitude to animals. Before getting an animal, if we are talking about companion animals, any potential pet owner should understand: they assume certain responsibility for the animal. This law has streamlined the legal relations that needed to be regulated at the level of the law,” said Yulia Pyrskaya, a lawyer with the Minsk City Bar Association.
What has changed since the law came into force?
For example, in the past, the owner was held responsible only when they had already caused harm to their pet. Now, they will be held to account even for intentional actions, which could potentially harm the pet. It applies to farm animals too.
“It is obvious that a farm animal will be slaughtered in the end. Nevertheless, they should be treated well while living. The animal's needs for food, light, water, space, and housing must be satisfied,” Yulia Pyrskaya said.
In other words, not feeding a cow, a goat or a pig is an abuse. Exhausting productive animals is considered cruel treatment as well. You will have to answer for it. Farmer Anastasia Chernyavskaya shelters rabbits, geese, cats and dogs that were abandoned by their former owners.
“People have fun and dump their pets. They grow bored of them and they throw them away. Kids abuse them, and their parents don’t even scold them for it. They don’t tell them that animals feel pain too. It's horrible. Every animal has their story. These stories horrify you and make you angry. You cannot get your head around how a human being can be so cruel to another creature. I don't have to go far back as this autumn. A guy came to us and brought his cat. His cat was 12 years old. He'd lived with them in the apartment for 12 years. Kids were messing with him and he started fighting them off. So they just decided to throw him out. The guy asked if I'd take him in. I told him that I wouldn’t because the cat was accustomed to living in an apartment, and that I had a small child too. But I promised him to find a new home for his cat. The guy left and threw the cat in a field. We did not see him right away. We found him on the third day. He was rambling around freezing, and a pack of dogs was tailing close by,” farmer Anastasia Chernyavskaya said.
When meeting with Yuri Tertel, Head of the State Inspectorate for Fauna and Flora Protection under the President of Belarus, in July 2022, Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the outrageous animal abuse cases and demand not to let such cases go unnoticed. The head of state said that perpetrators are often young people. “There have always been unhinged youngsters in all times, but now they don’t only abuse animals, but also post it on the internet,” the Belarusian head of state said.
“Probably the key provision and key message of this law are about responsible attitude to animals. Before getting an animal, if we are talking about companion animals, any potential pet owner should understand: they assume certain responsibility for the animal. This law has streamlined the legal relations that needed to be regulated at the level of the law,” said Yulia Pyrskaya, a lawyer with the Minsk City Bar Association.
What has changed since the law came into force?
For example, in the past, the owner was held responsible only when they had already caused harm to their pet. Now, they will be held to account even for intentional actions, which could potentially harm the pet. It applies to farm animals too.
“It is obvious that a farm animal will be slaughtered in the end. Nevertheless, they should be treated well while living. The animal's needs for food, light, water, space, and housing must be satisfied,” Yulia Pyrskaya said.
In other words, not feeding a cow, a goat or a pig is an abuse. Exhausting productive animals is considered cruel treatment as well. You will have to answer for it. Farmer Anastasia Chernyavskaya shelters rabbits, geese, cats and dogs that were abandoned by their former owners.
“People have fun and dump their pets. They grow bored of them and they throw them away. Kids abuse them, and their parents don’t even scold them for it. They don’t tell them that animals feel pain too. It's horrible. Every animal has their story. These stories horrify you and make you angry. You cannot get your head around how a human being can be so cruel to another creature. I don't have to go far back as this autumn. A guy came to us and brought his cat. His cat was 12 years old. He'd lived with them in the apartment for 12 years. Kids were messing with him and he started fighting them off. So they just decided to throw him out. The guy asked if I'd take him in. I told him that I wouldn’t because the cat was accustomed to living in an apartment, and that I had a small child too. But I promised him to find a new home for his cat. The guy left and threw the cat in a field. We did not see him right away. We found him on the third day. He was rambling around freezing, and a pack of dogs was tailing close by,” farmer Anastasia Chernyavskaya said.
Why Lukashenko does not tolerate animal abuse?
When meeting with Yuri Tertel, Head of the State Inspectorate for Fauna and Flora Protection under the President of Belarus, in July 2022, Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the outrageous animal abuse cases and demand not to let such cases go unnoticed. The head of state said that perpetrators are often young people. “There have always been unhinged youngsters in all times, but now they don’t only abuse animals, but also post it on the internet,” the Belarusian head of state said.
He instructed that proposals be submitted immediately if additional measures are needed in this regard, although this is not exactly the purview of the animal welfare service. “Take this under control. Animals are the most loyal, reliable and committed creatures that will never betray you. Look at how some people, including the youth, treat animals. This is unacceptable. Until we pass the law (it is in the works), I would ask you to think of ways the animal welfare service could respond to such cases,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president noted that the culprits often post these things on social media. “And secondly: the overwhelming majority of Belarusians are compassionate people who love animals. They will immediately report animal cruelty cases. We need to push back against it,” the head of state said.
“We need to respond to this. Take care of this matter as much as you can until a law is passed. Some incidents are really outrageous. Some people shoot a swan with a slingshot or torture it. Well, a swan is a sacred bird! Or they abuse some little dog, or some other animal. We need to come to grips with it. I will ask you to take this matter under control!” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.
Aleksandr Lukashenko has repeatedly raised the issue of cruelty to animals. The way he treats his pet Spitz Umka says a lot about his attitude to animals. By the way, during a press conference on 26 January this year, the president said how Umka appeared in his home.
“He was gifted, but not to me, yet it was me who he became attached to. Well, what can I do? I love him very much. He's like a child. His main competitor at home is Kolya, of course, because he knows that I love Kolya and him, and he feels it. I didn't understand this before, even though I was born in the village and I know what animals are. I never thought that you could love a pet that much. They are the most devoted and loyal creatures. People cannot be as devoted as dogs. And dogs have an incredible gut feeling. If I go somewhere to meet with people, he becomes very jealous. He is desperate to be there, too,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Finding home for abandoned pets
Good Samaritans and volunteers post photos and videos of crippled cats and dogs online. This is how they try to raise money for their treatment and find a home. Often animal abuse is recorded by random passers-by. Such an incident happened in April 2022. A video surfaced online of a woman kicking her dog on the street. The police intervened and the woman was detained. Later, this video was shown to the president. Aleksandr Lukashenko responded.
The puppy was brought to Minsk and on 2 May, at the end of a hockey training session, the president gave it to his team's coach, Senator Dmitry Baskov. Thus, the dog found a home. Pepa is also getting ready to move to a new home. She was less fortunate: in August last year, she ended up in an animal shelter.
“She was pregnant and gave birth during this time. We found home for all her puppies. And then her turn came. She is going to be adopted,” said Tatiana Cherkas, zoo engineer, head of section No.2, Fauna Goroda animal service.
How do animals end up in the street?
Employees of the animal shelter have seen betrayal in all shapesand forms. People often do not understand that having a pet is a huge responsibility: animals are sometimes returned after a day or two. They take them to play with, but are not ready to care for and treat them.
“A family came to us to adopt a puppy once. They brought the dog back four years later. They explained that they took it for their children, and the children grew up and did not want the dog anymore. Just imagine what kind of people these children have grown up into if they decided to give up on their friend. They brought it and asked us to take it back. That is a very sad story, but unfortunately such things happen,” Tatyana Cherkas said.
Animals get to the animal shelter as part of the trapping process. People also bring here animals they find on the street or when simply decide to get rid of their pets. At present this animal shelter is home to 92 dogs and 94 cats.
“We have more cats and dogs in summer. There are fewer of them in winter. If we compare the figures with the previous years, the current number of 94 cats, for example, is the biggest one we have ever had here. The organization, however, can accommodate a total of 110 dogs and 130 cats. Animals that get here are taken care of until they are adopted,” Director of the Fauna Goroda animal service Tamara Tsarikovskaya said.
Volunteers run ads on social media and find new owners for cats and dogs. Of course, all of us would like to see fewer stray cats and dogs on the streets. Specialists of the animal shelter were also involved in the law drafting process.
“We were engaged in the work on the bill. There were several drafts. The last one has already been adopted. A lot of things did not make part of the document. We wanted mandatory animal sterilization and mandatory animal chipping to be introduced. The most important thing for us, for our animal shelter is to have people come and adopt animals. This is the best thing for us. Everyone is welcome to come and choose an animal. We have the Fauna of the City channel on Telegram where we post photos of all our animals,” Tamara Tsarikovskaya stressed.
How will irresponsible pet owners be punished?
The law does not mandate spaying and neutering of all owned animals, but pet owners must not allow unwanted offspring. How will it be regulated? The law has recently come into force. The work on by-laws is underway. They will specify all the details. The question Brigitte Bardot raised in 2018 has been solved. The French actress published an open letter addressed to Aleksandr Lukashenko on the website of her foundation. Among other things, she raised an issue of stray animal euthanasia. Now it is forbidden to have healthy pets euthanized.
Earlier, an animal was considered as property. A thing. Therefore, the owner could dispose of their pet's life.
“Under the new law, an animal is finally considered as a living being. Of course, it always used to be such, but now at the legislative level it is treated as a creature that may experience both mental and physical suffering,” Yulia Pyrskaya said.
Another important provision is the definition of “mutilation”. Now, it is banned to dock animal’s tails or remove their teeth, for example, unless such procedures are required for medical purposes. The “soft paws” declawing operation performed on cats to prevent them from scratching and spoiling furniture is now outlawed as well.
Mutilation is any change to the animal’s body that affects the animal’s life. It may be an injury that impairs the appearance of the animal. Or that affects the functional abilities of its body even more so if it leads to the animal’s mental disturbance, Yulia Pyrskaya said.
If animal cruelty is proved, the animal can be taken away from its owner. Such people can even be banned from owning animals for some time. Well, the law has been adopted. The main thing now is to make sure everyone sticks to it.
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