The key facts

  • The fines for abandoning pets are proposed to be increased tenfold: to 30, 100 and 300 thousand rubles depending on the offender's status
  • Current fines range from 1.5 to 3 thousand rubles
  • The revenues are proposed to be directed to the budget of the region that bears the costs of keeping ownerless animals

Proposal to raise fines

Deputies of the KPRF faction in the State Duma, together with senator Airat Gibatdinov, propose increasing the maximum fines for abandoning an animal: up to 30 thousand rubles for individuals, up to 100 thousand for officials and up to 300 thousand for legal entities. The document is available to Gazeta.Ru. Fine revenues are proposed to be directed to the budget of the region that bears the costs of keeping ownerless animals.

The authors' motives

Under the current rules, fines for abandoning pets range from 1.5 to 3 thousand rubles. Senator Gibatdinov, commenting to Gazeta.Ru, called these amounts insufficient: 'Currently, fines for abandoning pets range from 1.5 to 3 thousand rubles and frighten no one.' In his view, raising the maximum amounts could have a deterrent effect on at least some citizens: 'A person will think three times once they realize that the consequences of their action will be felt in their wallet.' He also noted that the problem cannot be solved any other way: people will keep thoughtlessly taking in and abandoning animals, while the regions will bear the costs of catching them and maintaining ever more shelters.

Additional measures and context

Gibatdinov emphasized that raising fines should be complemented by other steps, in particular mandatory registration and microchipping of animals — this would make the mechanism of holding people accountable more effective. The Gazeta.Ru article comes against the backdrop of the outlet's earlier publications on pets: volunteer Yulia Skripak explained what to do if a pet goes missing — according to her, cats, unlike dogs, more often hide in basements, and she refuted the widespread belief that cats can find their way home on their own. Also, Russians were previously told about devices that help find a lost animal. No sources report on the adoption of the proposed amendments — at this point it is an initiative, not a decision that has entered into force.