You need to know: what can pet owners be fined for, lawyers said

The Responsible Animal Care Act sets out requirements for keeping pets. When keeping pets, owners must respect the rights and legitimate interests of their neighbors, says lawyer Valeria Starodubova. Owners are required to clean up after their pets during walks. In October 2025, deputies proposed obliging people to clean up after pets in common areas.

Also, the rules for keeping pets are regulated by the Code of Administrative Offences. Violations include loud dog barking, non-compliance with the rules for cleaning after pets in public areas, and an unpleasant smell from the apartment, said lawyer Ekaterina Tyutyunnikova.

According to Art. 6.3 and 6.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, for violating the peace and quiet of citizens, exceeding permissible noise levels in residential buildings, including due to barking dogs, a fine of 500 rubles is provided. The times when making noise is prohibited vary from region to region. In Moscow, you can’t make noise from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., Starodubova recalled. In the capital, a fine of up to 2 thousand rubles is provided for this violation.

If a dog barks loudly during the day, Article 6.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses applies, the provision on violation of sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the operation of residential premises. The same article provides for liability for the smell from the apartment and excrement in the yard.

Article 8.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses is also in force, providing for liability for violation of environmental requirements. The fine for violating the rules for keeping pets in an apartment reaches 3 thousand rubles.

In addition, there are local laws. For example, according to Article 13.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the city of Moscow, for loud barking of dogs during the daytime, the owner can be fined up to 1 thousand rubles, said Elena Timoshenko, head of the contractual, corporate and legislative practice of the De Jure Law Firm.

source: CYANOGEN