"Sits with corpses, growls and is afraid"

On January 15, the defenders of animals from the Amur Region distributed terrifying pictures and videos along social networks. Dozens of dog corpses, rats and fiercely living dogs around. Such a picture appeared before them in a dog shelter on the outskirts of the village of Chigiri 10 kilometers from the regional center - Blagoveshchensk.

The owner of this institution Vyacheslav Zolotarev back in 2014 opened on his 18 hundredths a private shelter "Friends" for stray dogs and concluded contracts for catching animals with administrations of several areas and cities of the region. Volunteers claim that they had long known how things were actually in this shelter, but they could not do anything.

- It was not news to us that there was such a situation. We have no scale. But we have long known that in the shelter there was a cruelty to animals, but for a long time we could not influence what was happening for a long time, ”says the zoo defender Irina Polyakova. It was she who took shocking photos and videos from a shelter on January 15, which instantly diverged social networks and shocked everyone.

The zoo defenders wrote a lot of statements to both the prosecutor’s office and the district police officer. Wherever it was possible. But basically they received refusals

This shelter is located, already called by the volunteers "dog Auschwitz", behind a small forest on the outskirts of the settlement. On three sides is fenced with a deaf fence. The entrance is prohibited to the private territory. At the shelter, the guard is on duty around the clock. A few years ago, a local television company sent a crew there, but she returned with broken equipment.

And so, inspired by the new law on the protection of animals, the volunteers decided to get into the territory of the shelter.

- We succeeded. And we saw everything with our own eyes. In addition, our volunteers have a video from the trays, where Zolotarev personally shot with darts with his wife with his wife. He collected dogs to fulfill the contract. Very often, the master's. People tried to rescue them, called. But he said "Prove, provide documents." Few people draw up a document on a mongrel. And the dog could not be rescued, ”says Irina Polyakova.

After what was happening in the shelter, thanks to the volunteers, it became known in the city and the noise rose, the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs visited the friend.

-An investigative-operational group went to the scene. Police officers examined the scene. The fact of finding the corpses of dogs in this territory was recorded. Installed and interviewed witnesses. At the moment, the audit is ongoing, and in the near future a procedural decision will have already been made, ”the head of the information and public relations of the Amur Ministry of Internal Affairs Inna Kartashova told the Siberia.S. Relations correspondent.

- The police arrived in the evening. I photographed everything. We were there until four in the morning. Who could not pick up - they fed. There were 20 dogs left by morning. The puppies were taken away at once. Many people came to learn from social networks about what was happening, and took the dogs, says Polyakova.

Veterinary services arrived on the same day counted 47 dog corpses. The regional vests took them to her laboratory for research. Since November, 12 cases of rabies have been registered in the region. Due to the conditions for the content of dogs in the shelter, sanitary doctors are most afraid of its distribution.

Dogs in them were in terrible condition. Some bones. Apparently, they did not eat at all. If you get to cannibalism

Volunteers say that there were several hundred dogs in the "friend". From little puppies to huge Alabaev. The latter guarded the territory of the shelter. They lived in "comfortable" aviary around the perimeter of the shelter and, judging by their condition, received regular rations. Simple mongers were less fortunate.

- Open narrow rooms on two sides of the aisle. Some are just galvanized and without roofs. Dogs in them were in terrible condition. Some bones. Apparently, they were not fed at all and they have already begun to nibble each other. Explored dogs in ulcers in cages with corpses. A terrible sight, ”recalls Irina.

By the evening of January 16, a dozen most aggressive animals remained on the territory of the shelter. The volunteers fed, drove them and arranged warm beds. Soon 30-degree frosts will begin in the region.

- Dogs are swarmed, frightened. One dog is still sitting there in the aviary, where corpses are nearby. We are trying to take it, and he growls and is afraid. They are all in the traces of the beatings. Nearby lies a trunk - a hook, they obviously pounded them. It is clear that the psyche of some is broken. They are afraid of people. When the dogs were put in the car and taken, they just lost consciousness. Probably from the horror of where they can be taken. They don't even resist already. Thin, dirty, all on fleas.

Vyacheslav Zolotarev now, according to volunteers, is in Thailand. We could not get comments from him. But the volunteers claim that vocal messages with the threats of lawsuits about illegal penetration into private territory came to them from Zolotarev.

- The zoo defenders have long written statements to the prosecutor’s office and the district police officer about what was happening in this shelter. Wherever it was possible. But basically they received refusals, unsubscribes. Since Zolotarev concluded contracts, the housing and communal services, the Veenadzor, and the other authorized people periodically came to him. And now Veenadzor claims that during those checks everything was fine, there were no complaints, the contract was fulfilled, ”says Irina Polyakova.

For the maintenance of one dog in the shelter from the budget, 22 thousand rubles are allocated for 6 months. In a year, the region spends about 5 million for these purposes. These funds should go to the maintenance, chipping and sterilization of the animal. All this time, the shelter successfully passed checks and continued to engage in catching animals for budget money.

- Throughout the entire time the organization, the management annually carried out unscheduled inspections on the application of citizens, and on the identified violations, orders were issued, which were executed within the deadlines established by law. About those violations that are not in the jurisdiction of the administration, we reported to the regulatory authorities for further proceedings, ” says Sergey Samokhvalov, head of the regional veterinary department.

A great public outcry attracted the attention of regional authorities to this story.

- This is an egregious fact, and criminal legislation very strictly regulates these things. Therefore, in accordance with the law, guilty people will bear the appropriate punishment, ”said the opinion of Governor Vasily Orlov, his press service.

Reference:

Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for brutal handling of animals provides for criminal liability in the form:

- a fine of up to eighty thousand rubles or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months, or

- obligatory work for up to three hundred and sixty hours, or

- correctional work for up to one year, or

- restriction of freedom for up to one year, or

- arrest for up to six months,

- or by deprivation of liberty for up to three years.

If the crime is committed by a group of persons, or by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, or an organized group, as well as in the presence of a minor, using sadistic methods, with a public demonstration, including in the media or information and telecommunication networks (including the Internet), as well as if it was done in relation to several animals, the following punishments are provided:

- a fine of 100,000 rubles to 300,000 rubles;

-straff in the amount of wages or other income for a period of one year to two years;

- correctional labor up to two years;

- forced labor up to five years;

- imprisonment for a term of three to five years.