July 17, 2023

Paws & Laws


Paws & Laws
Stray kittens. Noppon Meenuch, Unsplash.

The State Duma imposed a ban on stray dogs and cats — granting regions the autonomy to determine how they will deal with such “homeless” animals.

An amendment to Article 13 of Federal Law No. 498, also known as "On the Responsible Treatment of Animals," included a ban on stray animals and their "self-walking" activities. The amended law now strictly prohibits the unrestricted and unaccompanied movement of animals in various public spaces, with the exception of designated areas permitted by local authorities for animal exercise. Notably, under the current version of the Responsible Animal Care Act, pets are prohibited from accessing roadways, elevators, apartment building yards, as well as children's and sports fields.

The State Duma claims their primary objective is to "protect people from attacks" from stray dogs. However, their motivation has sparked opposition from animal rights activists, who took to the streets near the State Duma to express their concerns. The activists said they fear the Duma's decision may pave the way for the legalization of euthanasia for homeless animals across different regions. 

Following the public outcry, the State Duma received approximately 25,000 appeals from concerned citizens expressing their opposition to the proposed amendments. In response, Russia has implemented an OSVV program (trapping, sterilization, vaccination, and return to the streets) as a means of addressing the issue. However, the legal amendments will give regional authorities the option to explore alternative approaches, which could potentially include the implementation of so-called "humane euthanasia."

You Might Also Like

Never Abandon Your Own
  • October 15, 2022

Never Abandon Your Own

When circumstances force you to leave the country, what do you do with your beloved pets?
A Shell-ebration
  • March 21, 2023

A Shell-ebration

A rare species of tortoise hatches in the Moscow Zoo for the first time. 
Puppy Love
  • August 29, 2022

Puppy Love

On International Homeless Animals Day, Moscow citizens attended a festival to encourage the adoption of pets from city shelters.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955