Don't bark, don't bite: fines for animal cruelty want to increase to 1 million

Fines for animal cruelty are proposed to be increased to 1 million rubles, as well as to impose punishment in the form of forced labor for up to five years. The Federation Council has prepared amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, providing for tougher liability for the repeated commission of such crimes and the introduction of penalties for spreading poison in public places. The reason was the increased number of deaths of animals due to poisoning by their dog hunters. Whether new measures will help protect animals is in the Izvestia article.

Why do they want to increase the punishment for cruelty to animals

Senator Airat Gibatdinov has drafted a bill providing for an increase in the fine for cruelty to animals to 1 million rubles. Izvestia has reviewed the document. The explanatory note notes that the current legislation does not fully take into account the degree of public danger of such crimes.

"Despite the government's policy of humane treatment of animals, cases of dog—hunting continue to be recorded - when intruders spread poisoned food in dog-walking areas and other public spaces," the document says.

— Baits are often laid in courtyards, near playgrounds. No one can guarantee that a poisoned piece will not be picked up by a child," Airat Gibatdinov explained to Izvestia the need to draft a bill.

Also, do not forget that for most owners, pets are also full—fledged family members.

In this regard, it is proposed to supplement Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Cruelty to animals") with a new part. It provides for separate punishment for crimes committed in a generally dangerous manner, including for spreading poison in public places, as well as for repeated violations of this article and acts committed with particular cruelty.

For such actions, it is proposed to impose a fine of 300 thousand to 1 million rubles or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of two to five years. Forced labor for up to five years or imprisonment for a term of three to five years is also provided, also with or without possible recovery of the convicted person's income for the same period.

The senator's press service reported that the bill was sent for review to the government. Izvestia sent a request to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to comment on the prospects for supporting the initiative.

Cruel reception: knackers may be required to undergo psychiatric examination

According to experts, this will reduce the risk of committing serious crimes.

Will tougher penalties help solve the problem

As the media reported with reference to data from the judicial Department at the Supreme Court for 2024, 191 people were convicted under Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the same time, criminal proceedings were terminated against 17% of the accused. In the first half of 2025 alone, the number of people convicted under this article was 73.

— The problem is urgent. There is a lot of talk that dogs and cats interfere with citizens, but we forget the other side of the coin," Nikolai Zakharov, president of the Russian Guild of Dog Handlers, told Izvestia. — People who enjoy killing animals cannot be called anything but knackers: this is beyond good and evil. As a rule, these are people who brag about what they do, launch all possible streams on the Internet, create special communities, which mostly include young people. It radically harms society.

According to him, the fines that are in effect now do not stop anyone, so increased punishment is certainly necessary.

Vladimir Burmatov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, believes that such crimes should be equated with extremist activities, and increasing the fine will not solve the problem.

— I think that such people should not be called dog hunters. These are mass killers of animals, which also pose a threat to the life and health of citizens. Now the snow will melt and all these poisons will not go away, they will all settle on the ground and will not lose their properties. This means that all this will happen in sandboxes and playgrounds in the spring, and now it is difficult to imagine what consequences this may lead to," the deputy noted.

According to him, in Moscow, for example, there is not a single stray dog, but such crimes against animals occur regularly. Vladimir Burmatov also noted that poisoning cases are often broadcast on the Internet, where recipes for poisons are also distributed.

According to the deputy, such people impose their perverted views on society, therefore they must bear severe criminal responsibility. He also stressed that punishment must be unavoidable: law enforcement agencies often do not consider it a crime to spread poison, although such actions can lead to the death of people.