Fauna Goroda Denies Kennels Are Overcrowded Due to Dog Tax

The management of Fauna Goroda, Minsk’s temporary animal shelter, has denied reports that its kennels have become overcrowded because of the introduction of a mandatory dog tax, Minsk-Novosti reported. According to director Anastasiya Varabyova, the facility currently houses 74 dogs and 73 cats despite having capacity for 240 animals, with kennels occupied at 61% of capacity. She also said that no owner had surrendered an animal because of the tax.

“Animals come to us for various reasons. Some are captured as strays, while others are brought in by their owners. We always ask why the owner decided to do so. One of the most common reasons is allergies. There are also cases where the owner has died and relatives cannot take the animal in. I would note that no pets have been brought to us because of the dog ownership tax,” the director said.

Earlier, volunteers reported a critical situation at the temporary animal shelter on Hurskaha Street. According to them, all kennels had been occupied a week earlier, with two or three dogs housed in a single enclosure. Volunteers appealed to Minsk residents to adopt a dog or provide temporary foster care.

Online commentators suggested that the situation was linked to the planned introduction on July 1, 2026, of mandatory registration and taxation of dogs. Yesterday, volunteers reported that over the weekend they had managed to reduce the number of animals in the kennels and free up enough space for at least one to two weeks.

People wishing to adopt a pet can visit the facility daily from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 42 Hurskaha Street, Minsk. Visitors must bring a passport.

Mandatory registration of cats and dogs will come into force in Belarus on July 1, 2026. The dog ownership tax will be 14 Belarusian roubles per quarter, while owners of potentially dangerous breeds will pay 67 Belarusian roubles. Failure to register a pet may result in a fine ranging from 45 to 675 Belarusian roubles.