The state doesn’t care about the old, children, or animals, animal advocates say

President's administration has declined a motion of animal protection organizations, which suggested introducing a draft law “On animal protection” into the 2014 plan.

The officials have answered that “draft project of laws for 2014 is already formed and “the issue of expedience of draft law “On animal protection” should be elaborated with the interested state bodies, as to implement this law considerable budgetary funds are required”.

EuroBelarus Information Service reporter has asked the opinions of animal advocates.

Marina, who is a volunteer for an animal organization, believes that the main problem in the sphere of animal help is the absence of animal shelters: “The state doesn’t care about the old, children, or animals. Unfortunately, the state traditionally treats all the vulnerable segments of the population, including animals, in such a way. People who hold power are busy with lining their pockets; who cares about “theorphans and cripples”, not to say about the animals?”

Marina is convinced that criminal liability for inhuman treatment of animals should be introduced: “In this case people might think about their actions, they will fear the consequences”.

Oksana, a volunteer in one of the Minsk private shelters, believes that Belarusan mentality is the reason why we still don’t have law on animal protection: “We don’t care about our neighbors and we don’t care about pets. It is people, not the state, who leave their pets at shelters, - emphasizes the volunteer. – And people who adopt laws get quite good salaries for doing nothing”.

Volunteers are not at all happy that Belarus introduces ban on the only drug used for operations and putting down animals. Indeed, “Zoletil” medicine is the only effective drug that veterinary surgeons have been using for animals’ anesthesia. “Effective drug” means that “Zoletil” is the drug that takes away pain during the operations. The ban enters in power on January 29, 2014. “Zoletil” will be recognized as a narcotic drug, despite thousands of people who signed the petition against introduction of the ban.

Veterinary surgeons will face the choice: to operate with a risk to be convicted for illegal drug traffic or operate an animal using local anesthesia, which means that an animal can’t move but feels pain and can even die from pain shock.

“The decision to deprive animals of the only official anesthesia in Belarus proves that inhuman treatment has long ago become normal for many Belarusan citizens, and, what is more frightful, for the officials as well”, - Natalia Beliankova, ex-employee of the Minsk animal shelter commented on the petition.

- Vets who claim that only one injection is needed to put down an animal, should not be trusted. Humane mercy killing is only possible with a general anesthesia! – says one of the specialists in Minsk veterinary clinic to the EuroBelarus Information Service.

As to the President’s attitude towards animals, volunteers believe that state machinery is absolutely indifferent both about somebody else’s life and to the people’s opinion; people in power care only about themselves.