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Minsk,
Republic of Belarus
220009 Minsk,
e-mail: a.kurlenia@gmail.com
20th of November 2009 г. № 68

Dear Sirs!
On the threshold of International Animal Rights Day, we - citizens of Republic of Belarus - ask you for support.
Realize that people and animals relation is a serious socio-ecological problem, which is in particular moral importance, and declare town inhabited animals as important and essential part of urban fauna and biological variety, we state that on the territory of Republic of Belarus:

- near 70 000 homeless animals are killed annually, in the majority in a cruel way (by shooting of, using high-tension current, drown animals, sleeping them by T-61 preparation, still alive animals are bricked up in basement of houses, and etc.). Housing-and-municipal services are dealing with catching of homeless animals. Their aim is catching and killing them;
- there is no legal documents on animals protection against cruel handling (isn’t signed Europe Convention for the Protection of Pets Animals. There is no any law, that regulate cruel handling with animals);
- there is no one animal asylum in Republic of Belarus;
- there is a process of suppressing voluntary movements dealing with protection of animals, systematical breaking of human rights of freedom of assembly, expressing options and receiving information about work of state institutions, that are in charge of regulation of such questions.
In this connection, we – citizens of Republic of Belarus - show our serious alarm because of progressing cruelty against animals and uncontrolled rising of dogs and cats, that are not in demand in Republic of Belarus (it is the main reason of their future homeless).

We think that cruelty against animals inevitably caused exasperation and degradation of society;
We pay attention on the fact of absence of protection and rights of animals in Belarus, vital lag of Belarus from advances of modern civilization;
We state that currently legislation in Republic of Belarus can’t guarantee real law protection of animals from cruelty;
We are sure that ignoring of this problem caused violation of human rights (including children), who faced with moral and physical shocks, coming unintentional eye-witness of cruelty against animals;
We think that humane attitude to pets has a huge educational role for society;

We think that it is necessary to inform international organizations about these problems and ask you to make an influence on leaders of our country in aim to make the first steps toward protection of animals and making changes in current legislation of Republic of Belarus.

Nataliya Belianova,
chairman of Animal Rights Human Society «EGIDA»

P.S. Our letter is supported by all animal protective organizations of Republic of Belarus.
We are ready to present all necessary documents in English.