Curb your dog, don't pet the llamas, and say goodbye to your favorite cat cafe: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that bans cruelty to animals and imposes stricter new regulations on pet ownership.
Among other things, the law Putin signed on December 27 bans petting zoos, animal fights, and eateries where patrons can have a bite in the presence of cats.
According to the law, only domestic animals can be kept as pets at home and pet owners must provide their animals with medical treatment, food, water, and other needs.
Dog owners are now obliged to walk their pets only in specially designated places and clean up their waste.
Dogs of potentially dangerous breeds must be walked in public with a leash and in a muzzle.
The list of potentially dangerous breeds will be defined and made public later.
The law also bans the killing of stray animals, which must instead be captured and placed in shelters.
The capturing of animals must be conducted out of sight of children and recorded on cameras for public monitoring.
The law was first submitted to the parliament in 2010 was approved by both chambers of parliament -- the State Duma and the Federation Council -- earlier in December.
