The rules for handling animals want to be changed in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      On April 17, 2026, at 14:43 Society In the Nizhny Novgorod region, there are plans to adjust the procedure for regional state control (supervision) in the field of animal welfare. The draft resolution has been posted on the regional government's website.

      According to the explanatory note, the changes are necessary to align regional regulations with federal requirements.

      It is proposed to clarify how the supervisory authority will categorize control objects into risk categories: significant, moderate, or low. The assessment will be conducted using a scoring system based on three main criteria.

      The first is the potential harm to legally protected values. This takes into account the type of activity of the organization and the number of animals kept. The more animals there are and the more potentially dangerous the activity, the higher the points awarded.

      The second is the likelihood of negative consequences. This considers past incidents of harm, such as cases of disease or other incidents caused by risk sources.

      The third is the good faith of the organization. It is taken into account whether the organization takes measures to reduce risks and whether violations have been identified in recent years as a result of preventive visits and inspections.

      For example, a shelter housing 151 animals receives 11 points for the scale of its activities. If a rabies outbreak was recorded there less than a year ago, an additional 6 points are added. If the object reaches 15 points or more, it is classified as significant risk. In this case, inspections and preventive visits will occur more frequently.

      At the same time, organizations will be able to reduce their risk category. Points will be deducted if they have voluntary insurance, provide the veterinary committee access to their information systems, and if no violations have been identified at the site for several years.

      The regulation will also specify the normative act that determines the frequency of mandatory preventive visits for objects with significant and moderate risk.

      Additionally, the list of risk indicators will include specific parameters for control objects or the procedure for their calculation and application. Methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing information necessary for assigning a risk category will be established.

      The draft also defines the procedure for formalizing a decision to issue a warning.

      Certain changes concern interaction with controlled entities. Through the regional portal, it will be possible to request a consultation and submit an application for a preventive visit. The requirements for conducting self-assessments with mandatory user identification are also clarified.

      It was previously reported that over 23,000 domestic dogs are registered in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

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