On April 1, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the law “On Responsible Treatment of Animals”.
The law is aimed at protecting animals from cruelty and ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities when dealing with animals.
The presidential press service reported this.
What's in the Animal Responsibility Act
The document establishes general rules for the treatment of animals (companions, service animals, laboratory animals, animals used in sports and cultural activities).
The government is authorized to determine the list of companion animals subject to registration and the procedure for keeping them at home.
Increased requirements for the maintenance of dangerous dogs are being established: their owners will be required to take special courses and obtain a certificate.
It is prohibited to visit healthcare organizations, educational institutions, grocery stores, sports facilities, and cultural infrastructure facilities with companion animals (except for guide dogs).
The sale of animals to minors is restricted. Catteries will be required to chip the offspring they sell (cats, dogs).
Owners of companion animals are given the right to microchip their pets.
A mechanism is being established for temporary restriction of ownership rights and confiscation of animals for violation of the conditions of handling them, resulting in harm to the health of animals, citizens or property.
Requirements for the establishment and operation of shelters, temporary holding facilities and hotels for animals have been defined. In particular, such facilities are prohibited from being located in residential buildings.
The main provisions of the document will come into force on January 1, 2025.
Previously, we talked about which dog breeds are considered the most problematic.
