I.Metshin: “We set the task of making Kazan a city without abandoned animals”

A large-scale modernization is undergoing at the Kazan animal shelter Zoocenter, located in the village of Mirny. Now the shelter adopts 700 dogs. The Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, who visited the Zoocenter, set a goal – to make the capital of Tatarstan a city without abandoned animals. The Mayor proposed to hold animal exhibitions in parks and squares, where everyone can adopt a pet.

“We set the task of making Kazan a city free of abandoned animals. There are not many cities have solved this issue. Unfortunately, many people treat animals as a toy and abandon them. And then, packs of dogs attack people“, - I.Metshin noted.

An example of a humane treatment for abandoned animals is the Zoocenter shelter. Two years ago, it was an animal transfer unit. After the adoption of the federal law, a large-scale modernization began here – a heated building was built. Each dog has a kennel with an area of 1.2 sq. m. There is also a walking area of 20 sq. m, designed for 10 dogs. Rustem Nurullin, director of the Zoocenter shelter, said that the standards provided for by federal law are taken into account when modernizing the animal shelter. In total, there can be 700 dogs here at the same time.

The animals are kept in the shelter for 20 days under the supervision of veterinarians. In the first 10 days, they are quarantined for rabies. In the next 10 days, the animal is sterilized, rehabilitated, dewormed, vaccinated and tagged. Then non-aggressive and healthy dogs are released into the natural environment.

The modernization of the shelter will continue further. By the end of the year, it is planned to reconstruct the second building, which is designed for an additional 1,200 animals.

Also, a large facility will appear in the shelter, where everyone will be able choose a dog. Ilsur Metshin suggested using parks and squares for this purpose.

The head of the city also asked whether Kazan residents often adopt dogs from the shelter. “Last year, more than 3,700 abandoned animals were caught, of which almost one thousand animals found new owners”, - the director of the shelter said. Volunteers actively cooperate with the Zoocenter and help homeless dogs find new owners.

The head of the city stressed that sterilization of dogs cannot solve a problem – this is only a part of the process. “In addition to the work of free mobile points of vaccination and sterilization of dogs, we will hold public discussions at which we will discuss the problem of homeless animals. We want to cooperate with animal rights activists, animal owners and everyone who cares”, - Ilsur Metshin said.