[Moscow Times]

February 20, 2007

About 100 animal rights activists and pet owners rallied Wednesday on Pushkin Square to protest what they called a city plan to destroy thousands of stray dogs and cats.

Mayor Yury Luzhkov signed a law five years ago that prohibits the killing of stray animals and requires authorities instead to castrate or spay them. But protesters said a City Hall department planned to soften the ban to allow strays deemed aggressive, ill or disabled to be put to sleep.

"They will simply kill all the stray animals on their territories if the proposal is approved," said Irina Novozhilova, head of Vita, an animal rights organization.

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full story:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/02/22/016.html