When you are accepted the Federal act on the protection of animals?

On 5 June, on the occasion of the Day of protection of environment in the state Duma held a Round table “the Humane treatment of animals – the moral necessity of civil society” with the participation of deputies of the state Duma, officials of ministries, animal welfare organizations. Naturally, animal protection, the public went to the round table with the sole purpose to raise again the question of the greatest necessity in the Federal Law “On protection animals from brutal treatment”. However, when in the foyer before the beginning of the Roundtable, participants received informative materials, it became obvious that the Day of environmental protection gradually turns into a St. George’s day in 1649, when instead of the expected improvements, the farmers were completely enslaved… Animal rights activists were stunned by reading about what they consider inappropriate the adoption of the Federal law to protect animals from cruelty and asking the Government only to improve existing legislation.

Recall that the first and only attempt of Russia to adopt the law “On protection animals from brutal treatment” failed. Rejected by President Putin in 2000, this bill, after spending the next 8 years in the state Duma, and has not been finalized, despite the public demand and appeal to Putin 106 people’s artists of Russia, and on March 21, 2008 was withdrawn. The puzzled Russians was explained: the state Duma believes that “coprostasia animals settled in the current legislation, including the Federal law “On fauna” and “On sanitary-epidemiological welfare of population”.

The proposal to replace a full-fledged law regulating all areas of human use of animals: livestock, fur farming, experiments, entertainment (fighting, circuses, zoos, hunting, running, cinema, Photo, patrocinia station, etc.), Pets (dogs, cats), with some small amendments, seemed to animal protection organizations are more than absurd. As, in the opinion of the state Duma, can protect animals from the cruelty of the law “On animal world”, considering animals only in the concept of “resource” and is diametrically opposite in nature to the Law “On the protection of animals…” remains a mystery, as well as of attributing to legislation in the animal protection law “On the sanitary-epidemiological welfare of population”(?!).

To date, the entire legal base of Russia for the protection of animals represented, in fact, the only article 245 of the criminal code, which does not cover the giant scope of human use of animals, and applies only to companion animals – cats and dogs. However, even on the facts of cruel treatment of cats and dogs this article is rarely used because of its absolute legal illiteracy.

The paradox is that, according to the article, accused of cruelty are judged not for committing a crime, and motive. For example, a breeder in USA has created in his apartment the breeding of zwergschnauzers and not sold animals began to fuse in an abandoned vegetable garden, shook his Scotch pre-fall that didn’t bark. When this crime came to light, and death of animals was recorded by the camera of RTR, ATS “Shchyolkovo” flatly refused to initiate a criminal case, stating that the breeder was led by concern for the welfare of neighbors, who complained about the smell and flies. The concept of “injury” referred to in article 245 does not include, for example, hunger, cold, lack of exercise etc. therefore zamurovannye basement vent holes along with live cats, as it happens in Moscow, remains completely unpunished.

Administrative and civil laws are just one very weak point “about the humane use of animals”, the rest has a very low legal status of “orders,” “letters of recommendation”, which has long been obsolete and lost all its meaning.

Over the years of the struggle for law has already died, and not waiting for its adoption, 5 of 106 signatories to the appeal to Putin on national actors – Kirill Lavrov, Ekaterina Maksimova, Lyubov Polishchuk, Andrei Tolubeev and Oleg Yankovsky, and its author is the founder of the Russian movement for the rights of animals Pavlova Tatyana Nikolaevna.

Round table in the state Duma on June 5 lasted 3.5 hours, with most speakers thanked the state Duma for the importance of the topic and spoke about the inadmissibility of cruelty to animals. It should be noted that all these nine years of fighting for the law similar events take place with surprising regularity. However, the most striking thing is that these endless gatherings in the background of the continued sufferings of animals from cruelty, escapes the essence of what is happening:

NORMS IN SOCIETY ARGUE THE LAWS

Therefore, in the terrible lawlessness of the Russian animals is to blame for the state Duma, removed from consideration of the Federal law “About protection of animals from cruelty”.

Once Gandhi said that there were two ways of development of society. The first and most desirable, but unattainable until the distant is when people don’t do the unseemly, violent actions not out of fear of being punished, and of inner belief. It is an indicator of development of a society with a very high level of consciousness. The second way is to establish a strict system of laws punishing cruelty is typical today for most countries of the world that claim to be “civilized”. There is no third, and the only question is when the Russian authorities will understand that.

Why we need a law

President of the Center for animal rights protection “Vita” Irina Novozhilova, who spoke at the roundtable, explained the position of animal protection organizations of Russia (and this position is supported by the experience of the world of animal protection organizations), which is the basic document reflecting the principles of the state policy in the sphere of protection of animals from cruelty, might be just the Federal law “On protection animals from brutal treatment”.

Why A Federal Act? Yes because it will be:

– be the legal basis for additions and changes to criminal, civil, administrative and other legislation of the Russian Federation;

– to promote the correct and uniform application of laws and regulations throughout the territory of the Russian Federation;

– to promote morality and humanity of society, the prevention of suffering and death.

The law should cover all 5 areas of human use of animals (according to their scale): animal production (65 billion), experiments (over 150 million), fur (from 70 to 100 million), entertainment (hunting, fighting, racing, circuses, zoos, patrocinia station, Photo business, advertising with animals, use in film etc), animals–companions.

Unfortunately, at the present stage of development of our society while it is impossible to speak about a complete end to the suffering of animals in different areas, but to minimize their laws allow today. It is important to understand that the law has not only a preventive or punitive function, but also an incentive for the development of society. For example, the paragraph in the section “experiments on animals” that “Russia has no right to use animals in tests for which there are alternatives, would force Russia to move to alternative humane methods of product testing.