Shelters for Stray Animals to Be Established in Armenia

On December 4, Mery Galstyan, a co-author of the legislative initiative and a member of the Civil Contract party faction, announced in the National Assembly that shelters for stray animals will be created in various regions of Armenia. She made this statement during a discussion on a package of bills regarding "Responsible Attitude Towards Animals" and related amendments to existing laws.

According to Galstyan, except for those applicable in the agricultural sector, the legal relationships related to non-wild animals in Armenia are not yet clearly regulated. She emphasized that the field of comprehensive regulations concerning domestic, stray, service, exhibition, sporting, and entertainment animals continues to remain open.

She noted that the proposed provisions do not pertain to relationships involving animals related to agriculture, hunting, or those posing a danger to human life. The project's authors examined the experiences of nearly 20 countries, and discussions were held with representatives of animal protection working groups, NGOs, experts, state bodies, and animal lovers.

Several provisions of the bill address the issue of stray animals, especially dogs. It is proposed to establish three regional centers—shelters—where stray, lost, abandoned, or temporarily cared-for animals will receive food, medical treatment, and care. The project also includes penalties for abandoning animals.

The passage and implementation of the changes are expected to reduce cases of cruel and irresponsible treatment of animals and create legal mechanisms to ensure their protection and welfare.

The project also includes the possibility of euthanizing animals that pose a danger to the public, which has raised concerns among animal rights defenders and several NGOs. The opposition has also expressed its stance, indicating that the opinions of NGOs have not been sufficiently taken into account during the drafting of the document.

Agnessa Khmoyan, a member of the Armenia Alliance, also pointed out other controversial provisions. In particular, according to the bill, citizens acquiring a live animal must obtain a new passport confirming the ownership of the animal within 10 days; otherwise, a fine of 30,000 drams is stipulated, and for officials, the fine is 50,000 drams. Khmoyan also highlighted the issue of prohibiting the entry of potentially aggressive animals into public transport, noting that it is difficult to objectively assess an animal's potential aggressiveness in such cases.