Belarus weighs voluntary registration for indoor cats

August 26, Pozirk. Mandatory registration of domestic cats may become voluntary under proposed amendments to Belarus’ rules on keeping dogs and cats, Nadzieja Siaŭruk, a senior official at the housing and utilities ministry has told journalists in Minsk.
The amendments could also scrap the limit on the number of dogs and cats that residents may keep in apartment buildings, she added. Authorities are reportedly preparing a draft government directive to replace rules adopted in 2001.
Under current rules, owners must register both dogs and cats within three days of purchase, while puppies and kittens must be registered when they are three months old. Currently, individuals may keep no more than two pets in a residential building apartment.
Belarus has about 24,000 registered cats and more than 106,000 registered dogs, Siaŭruk said.
Officials also reportedly plan to update the list of dog breeds that require “special responsibility on the part of the owner.”
The amendments were drafted in line with the law On the Responsible Treatment of Animals, which took effect on January 1, 2025. It recognizes animals as living beings capable of experiencing physical and moral suffering.
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