Administrative Liability for Animal Cruelty: the Experience of Ukraine

The article is devoted to the issue of administrative liability for cruelty to animals: the experience of Ukraine. The article states that factors such as the emergence of humanistic principles of societal organization led to a rethinking the world’s existence, animals and people in it. The result was the concept of protecting the natural rights of animals. Today, the issue of animal protection is given considerable attention at the international and national levels. The author examines international agreements in the field of animal welfare, which Ukraine has joined and ratified. The article considers the national legal regulation of prevention and counteraction to animal cruelty. The author analyses in detail the legal status of animals in accordance with current Ukrainian legislation. It is noted that animals in Ukraine are equated with a ‘special status’ thing, namely the property rights of animals’ owners are limited by legislation on the protection of animals from cruel treatment. Administrative liability for cruelty to animals is considered separately. The author analysed in detail the composition of the offense, which is provided by Article 89 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of bringing to administrative responsibility for ill-treatment of minors. The peculiarities of the administrative qualification of non-fulfilment by parents of parental responsibilities for the upbringing of a child who committed cruelty to animals aged 14 to 16 years are analysed