Cruel Treatment of Animals: What Punishments Does the Law Provide
Ukrainian legislation establishes clear rules for the keeping, handling, and transportation of animals and provides for administrative and criminal liability for their violation. Responsibility extends not only to pet owners but also to any persons who commit cruel acts against stray or wild animals. This was reminded by the Ministry of Justice.
What is animal cruelty?
Cruel treatment is considered actions or inaction that cause pain, suffering, injury, mutilation, or death to an animal. A complete list of such actions is provided in the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment." In particular, these include:
- beating, injuring, poisoning, mutilating, and killing animals;
- leaving animals unattended in a car at temperatures of +20°C or above or below +5°C;
- keeping an animal on a leash without access to shelter at temperatures above +20°C or below 0°C;
- using training methods that cause pain to the animal or harm its health and overall condition;
- tying animals to transport and forcing them to run;
- inciting animals to attack each other for hooligan or mercenary motives, etc.
Administrative Liability
If cruel treatment does not cause bodily injury, mutilation, or death of the animal, the guilty person may be held administratively liable. Such actions are punishable by a fine ranging from 3,400 to 5,100 hryvnias. For repeated violations within a year, offenses involving several animals, or committed by a group, the fine ranges from 5,100 to 8,500 hryvnias. Administrative arrest for up to 15 days may also be applied.
In cases where the continued presence of the animal with the owner poses a threat to its life or health, the court may decide to confiscate the animal.
Criminal Liability
Criminal liability arises for cruel treatment of vertebrate animals (cats, dogs, goats, cows, birds, and others) if it leads to mutilation or death of the animal, is committed with hooligan or mercenary motives, or is related to inciting animals to attack each other.
For such crimes, Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for punishment in the form of restriction of liberty for one to three years or imprisonment for two to three years with confiscation of the animal in cases provided by law.
More severe sanctions are provided if the crime is accompanied by factors that increase its social danger. For example, imprisonment for three to five years with confiscation of the animal is imposed on persons who committed these acts in the presence of children. For particular cruelty and serial offenses (actions committed repeatedly, by a group, against two or more animals, with special cruelty, etc.), punishment is imprisonment for five to eight years with confiscation of the animal.
Separate criminal liability — imprisonment for five to eight years — is provided for creating, selling, or distributing photo, video, audio materials, and other products that promote cruel treatment of animals.
"If you witness cruel treatment of an animal, it is worth reporting it to the police, if possible, documenting the circumstances of the event with photos or videos and involving witnesses. Such evidence can be important for bringing the guilty parties to justice. After all, every case of cruelty must receive proper legal assessment," the Ministry of Justice added.
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