The law on responsible treatment of animals, signed the day before by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, is aimed at humanizing our society.
This was stated by the deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Natalia Tarasenko.
The parliamentarian’s statement is cited by BELTA .
How the MP commented on the law on responsible treatment of animals
Tarasenko stated that thanks to this law, a legal framework will be created to regulate the sphere of animal welfare.
According to the parliamentarian, the law is important for educating society in the spirit of humanity.
This law is aimed at humanizing our society as a whole, the deputy said.
She noted that work on the law lasted more than 10 years. The document was repeatedly submitted to the lower house of parliament, was thoroughly worked out, but the interested parties were unable to reach agreement on some issues.
Now, according to the deputy, government agencies, animal rights organizations and animal owners have come to an understanding of what it should be like.
The law establishes general rules for the treatment of animals (companions, service animals, laboratory animals, animals used in sports and cultural activities).
The Government is empowered to determine the list of animals subject to registration.
Increased requirements for keeping dangerous dogs are being established: owners will be required to take special courses and obtain a certificate.
It is prohibited to visit educational institutions, healthcare organizations, grocery stores, sports facilities and cultural infrastructure facilities with animals (except for guide dogs).
Nurseries will be required to chip cats and dogs, and pet owners will have the right to chip them. The sale of animals to minors is restricted.
As Tarasenko explained, the rule on microchipping of animals by owners was initially considered mandatory, but after lengthy discussion and taking into account the opinions of citizens who participated in the public discussion of the document, it was decided that at this stage microchipping would be mandatory only for breeders and owners of nurseries.
The law also provides for a mechanism for temporary restriction of ownership rights and seizure of an animal in the event of the owner’s violation of the conditions for handling it, resulting in harm to the health of animals, citizens or property.
In addition, requirements have been defined for the establishment and operation of shelters, temporary holding facilities and hotels for animals. In particular, such facilities cannot be located in residential buildings.
The main provisions of the document come into force on January 1 of next year.
Previously we talked about how to choose the right collar for your dog.
