Animal Welfare Policy in Kazakhstan:  Is Law On Responsible Pet Ownership Really Working?

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“The soul of a nation can be judged by the

way it treats its animals”

Mahatma Gandhi

If you open any news portal in Kazakhstan and search for animal cruelty, you will likely be shocked and disgusted by what you find. Scrolling through headlines, the most common include “dog tied to a car and dragged while the owner was driving,” “kitten thrown out of a window by children,” “shelters overcrowded with stray dogs,” and “dog abandoned by owners on the road.” On social media, animal protection volunteers and organizations post even more cases of animal abuse, with some instances of cruelty beyond imagination. 

Inara Ibragimova.

In 2021, Kazakhstan made a breakthrough in legislation by passing a law on responsible pet ownership. This new policy established principles of animal welfare aimed at reducing the population of stray dogs and cats humanely. Stray animals were to be caught, sterilized, and released back into their environment. However, the implementation of this policy has often diverged significantly from its intended norms, particularly in the initial years after the law’s adoption. 

City’s veterinarian services were found capturing dogs in the presence of adolescents, without any assessment of the situation, using illegal poisonous shots or other violent methods. In most cases, vet services are called when a dog attacks a person, though in practice, these incidents involve dogs with owners. This issue also affects the stray dog population, as irresponsible owners abandon puppies on the streets and fail to sterilize their dogs.

In 2024, the number of animal abuse cases decreased in comparison with previous years. Between January and August, there were 52 registered animal abuse crimes, which is 16.1% less than in the same period in 2023. Across regions, Almaty recorded the highest number of registered cases, with three in the city and 15 in the Almaty region. Perpetrators received fines totaling 966,700 tenge this year. 

It appears that we are now seeing fewer news about animal abuse and more about perpetrators being brought to justice. However, issues with veterinary services persist. For instance, animal activists in Atyrau report that to maximize budget expenditures, vet services claim to have captured an improbable 6,000 dogs, while their shelters remain empty. Approximately 95% of stray dogs are simply euthanized, and in 2023, the budget allocated for sterilization and euthanasia reached 48.5 million tenge. This highlights a lack of transparency and accountability in the process, underscoring the need for a thorough investigation. 

There are certainly positive shifts towards responsible pet ownership. Free sterilization campaigns are carried out in different cities of Kazakhstan by charitable organizations, animal protection organizations are spreading information and raising awareness, and society demands harsher punishments for perpetrators. Yet the government’s approach to dealing with stray animals remains insufficient. The actions of veterinary services perpetuate a vicious cycle of animal abuse, undermining the core objectives of animal welfare policies. It may be time for public values of humanity, empathy, and compassion to play a greater role.

Animal welfare is about more than statistics; its primary goal is not merely to eliminate stray animals but to recognize them as sentient beings deserving of care and protection. It’s about fostering zero tolerance for violence in any form. 

Kazakhstan now has the opportunity to embrace this perspective and improve policy implementation by promoting these new public values.    

The author is Inara Ibragimova, a graduate student of the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.