The Armenian government today approved the draft of a bill that aims to establish legal regulations for the treatment of domestic (non-wild) animals in the country.

The bill, entitled “On the Responsible Treatment of Animals” defines the legal relations related to domestic and stray animals in the country.

The bill, if approved, would mandate the establishment of three regional animal shelters in Armenia  to treat and care for stray animals, especially dogs.

There is no definitive number of animal shelters in Armenia, as the situation is complex and unofficial shelters exist alongside any official ones. Sources indicate there are multiple shelters, particularly in and around Yerevan, but they are often overcrowded and underfunded. 

Given that the bill addresses the treatment of non-wild animals, the fate of illegally caught or trapped wild bear in Armenia remains unclear.

International Animal Rescue writes that once captured, most end up in small, barren cages in public entertainment venues including restaurants, hotels and roadside zoos, as well as petrol stations and even factories. They are used as a tourist attraction and to make money out of captive breeding.

Armenia’s parliament, in 2022, approved a bill outlawing the use of wild animals in the country’s circuses.

In 2018, then Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan banned the killing of stray dogs in the Armenian capital and introduced a polic on education and sterilization instead.

The stray dog problem has plagued Yerevan for years and the municipality often resorted to destroying animals as a quick solution.