State of emergency over stray dogs in Chita after attacks on children

New laws to control strays and create shelters for the animals were agreed on 10 June to ease longstanding problems in Chita. The issue has become deeply controversial following attacks on two boys by strays in the remote city. 

The state of emergency was imposed after a nine year old boy was bitten in a savage attack in March, and died from his wounds. The boy, Kiril Klepikov, returning from school, was targeted by strays  lured by the local meat-packing plant 'Zabaykalagrobiznes'. 

Earlier, in January, a 10 year old schoolboy Dmitry Ziyatdinov was attacked, but was rescued by a passer-by. 

The city has been embroiled in arguments over who should have responsibility for controlling dogs roaming the streets. 

Animals rights activists objected to a plan to hold an auction for private companies to bid for a contract to catch and kill the dogs, asserting that dog patrols were the work of the regional administration.

In an appeal  to President Vladimir Putin, they warned of 'butchering of homeless animals in Chita', and claimed that day and night  the 'shooting and poisoning of dogs' was underway.

They claimed that children 'became sleepless and crying from the horrible experience' and that the animals were dying from torture. The Federal Antimonopoly Service agreed to cancel the auction. 

After this legislators were tasked with developing a special law on dog control, but this delayed catching the animals. 

Activists demanded that the laws should not simply be about catching and killing the strays, but about providing shelters for the animals, and working to sterilise the animals. 

The new law in the TransBaikal region allows for this, though the state of emergency has not been lifted yet. 

Now municipal authorities will  be able to create shelters for homeless animals, undertake vaccinations or cull stray dogs.