Press Release, 4.02.2025

Photo: Nikolai Rybakov with Tatyana Schneider and members of Omsk Yabloko at an animal shelter in Omsk, 2023 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Tatyana Schneider, Chair of the Omsk regional branch of the Yabloko party, met with the First Deputy Governor Dmitry Ushakov to discuss the problems of handling stray animals. Tatyana Schneider and the First Deputy Governor discussed how to improve the implementation of the catch-sterilise-vaccinate-release (CSVR) programme, facilitating the work of charitable foundations and private shelters. The Legislative Assembly of the Omsk Region has not yet discussed the draft on legalization of the killing of stray animals, which has been implemented since November 2023 in some regions, and it was important for Yabloko to promptly offer the authorities an alternative and humane method for solving the problem of stray cats and dogs. The founder of the Tara Animal Aid Fund, Anastasia Ivashova, also took part in the meeting of the Omsk Yabloko with the Deputy Governor.

At the meeting, it was proposed to adopt a set of measures for strict control over the implementation of the CSVR programme, the implementation of which demonstrated good results in several regions. According to the leader of the Omsk branch of Yabloko, that there are private shelters in the Omsk Region, as well as volunteers who have a ready-made programme and a well-thought-out system of measures to solve this problem. Euthanasia of stray animals cannot solve the problem, since it is a “time bomb”, and also generates cruelty in society and actually legalises it at the legislative level.

It is necessary to control the quality of the work of the contractor for the CSVR programme in the region – the OOO VZT Service company: according to animal rights activists, the company does not always fulfill its duties in good faith. Thus, it is reported that in rural areas, dogs are caught inhumanely while walking on their own, after which they are not returned to the same place to their owners, but released on the highway. Subsequently, these dogs do not return to their owners, and the owners often can not find them, because they do not know where to go.

The leader of the Omsk branch of Yabloko and the founder of the animal aid fund also informed the Deputy Governor about the low tariff for keeping animals in shelters. At the moment, it is about 6,500 rubles (approximately USD 6.5) per animal. Dmitry Ushakov assured that in 2025 the tariff would be increased.

The issue of providing municipal territories with access to communications for the organisation of shelters for homeless animals was also discussed. At the moment, such a programme exists, but the conditions for participation in it for animal shelters are absolutely unrealistic.

The meeting also discussed the need for the authorities to promote humane treatment of animals and explain the responsibility of owners for the poor performance of their duties to keep animals, which will ultimately reduce the number of homeless animals.

“The importance of the correct approaches to solving this issue cannot be underestimated, since this is a question of the value of life in general. It is not high now and will be even lower if the decisions to kill “unnecessary” animals are adoped. The consequences will be an increase in conflict in society, aggression towards not only animals but also people. It will be much more difficult to relieve this tension and extinguish such aggression than finding managerially effective ways to solve this problem now,” Tatyana Schneider says.

The Chair of Omsk Yabloko notes that Deputy Governor Dmitry Ushakov was attentive to the proposals Yabloko voiced. One of the stated problems – the provision of city lands to the Homeless Angel shelter – was resolved within a few days after the official’s meeting with Yabloko.