Dog registration in Kyiv: 10×15 photo, route to Elektrotechnichna and Parimatch website
16 May 14:15
ANALYSIS
On May 12, Kyiv launched a new service for registering pets at Administrative Service Centers. The procedure is mandatory for all dogs and optional for cats. Registration has started, but with a false start. What problems dog owners have faced, how much money they need to spend, and how mandatory this procedure is, "Komersant Ukrainian" has analyzed.
Dog registration is carried out for safety reasons – if an animal escapes, having the registration data will help to quickly return it home. In addition, the city needs to know how many dogs live on its territory. Officials assured that to register, the owner only needs to submit a completed form No. 1, which is provided directly to the ASC, and a payment receipt. After registration, the animal is assigned a unique number, and the owner receives a registration certificate confirming ownership of the pet. But the pioneers faced difficulties.
The dog’s registration was denied
MP Bohdan Yaremenko decided not to delay the registration of his dog and immediately contacted the ASC after the service was launched. Employees offered him to do it online,
“because if you come to us, you need to bring a 10×15 photo of the dog,”
– they said. But, according to the MP, this does not work online either. That is, you can register on the KCSA website and leave information about yourself and your dog, but it is impossible to go through the full registration procedure.
“At the last stage, you are offered to go… Yes, maybe even there… Because as a result of online manipulations/registrations, I received two emails from the Kyiv authorities, in one of which I was offered to go to Elektrotechnichna Street (although the same Kyiv authorities have long renamed this street to Heroiv Elektrykiv) to the Kyiv City Hospital of Veterinary Medicine to complete the registration, and in the second, for the same purpose, to visit the Animal Registration Service at 61 Vidradnyi Avenue. And the “cherry on top” was the final part of the email: “More detailed information on animal registration can be found on the website of KCLA”, referring law-abiding Kyiv residents to the Parimatch website. Therefore, the “new service of animal registration” widely advertised by the KCSA is a so-so service so far,”
– the MP writes on his Facebook page.
On the one hand, there is nothing new in animal registration – it has been around before. It was introduced in the 90s and returned in the 2000s. The same data about the dog and the owner were entered into the system, a certificate and a token were issued, and sometimes they were not. But at the same time, the owners also paid a “utility fee” for them – 8 UAH for each animal. This amount was included in the rent. Initially, registration was free, and the animals were even registered by janitors; in the 2000s, they started charging 34 UAH, and today they charge 210 UAH for each animal.
And that’s not all. During registration, you need to show a veterinary passport, and the animal must be chipped. That’s why many dog owners wonder: if you have a chip and the data is entered into the international registry, why do you need to register again? After all, the owner’s data is read from the chip, and they are quickly found.
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Not everyone can afford it
The pet volunteers who took in stray dogs are shocked. There are those who keep three, five or more dogs, which they treat, sterilize, treat for parasites, vaccinate (and a comprehensive vaccine costs at least 1000 UAH per animal), feed – they cannot afford additional expenses. And, according to the volunteers, it is possible that the next step will be a tax on dogs.
“Germany was cited as an example, where the tax for one dog is about 700 euros per year. So for the dogs I took from the street, at the rate of our German friends, I will be charged about 5000 euros. 400 euros a month is many times more than food, vaccinations, and treatment. What does the state provide for dogs? Nothing. But I have to register them at my own expense, and then pay the tax,”
– Anatoly Volodarsky is indignant.
Other volunteers are in solidarity and suggest that all the dogs rescued, treated, sterilized and vaccinated at their own expense should be returned to the streets of the city, so that the KMLSVM does the same very responsibly, not the volunteers. And let the city register them.
Kyiv residents are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But as it turned out, there is no responsibility for refusing to register a dog. Theoretically, the owner can be prosecuted under Article 154 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (Violation of the rules for keeping dogs and cats), but in fact, the only liability is the risk of losing the animal and the inability to prove ownership, says lawyer Valentyn Serov.
“The Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Animals from Cruelty”, which establishes the obligations of owners, including animal identification, does not contain any direct requirement to register a dog with a housing office, city hall, etc., especially for money. There is a law, which means that no bylaw (rules, instructions, city council decisions) can go beyond the law or contradict it. It is a mystery on the basis of which law the decision was made to mandate the registration of dogs in the KCSA ASC as well,”
– the lawyer notes.
Where is the register?
Last year, it was reported that starting in the new year, a unified registry would be created in Ukraine to store data on pets: it would contain information on vaccinations, animal diseases, and owner contacts. All of this is part of European integration.
Cats, dogs, and ferrets will be able to be registered because, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, these are the most common animals in the country. And ferrets are indeed in third place.
The database was to be made available to all veterinarians, both public and private. This will allow the latter to issue state-issued passports. Registration was optional, but paid. The system was supposed to be launched in January on the Diia portal. But it hasn’t started working yet.
The author: Alla Dunina
