On July 13 and 14, Ryazan animal rights activists held a series of pickets against the petting zoo in the framework of "no touchable week"; they informed about it in the group of "VKontakte".
The activists came to the city center with posters and leaflets to tell citizens about animal cruelty in so-called "touchable" zoos. Activists handed out leaflets on the Victory Square and Lenin Square. They called on the citizens not to go to the petting zoo, thereby not to support cruelty to animals financially. According to animal rights activists, there was an effect: many passers-by asked questions and supported initiative to eliminate exploitation of animals as toys and leisure.
"No need to be an ardent and engaged animal rights activists to understand what is happening in these zoos, to be aware that this is sadism towards animals: animals are touched, squeezed, they are under constant stress from the noise, screams, inability to sleep; during the day ten (hundreds) of people may touch animals who can not escape from them for a cash payment," Ryazan animal rights activists explained their protest.
"No touchable week" will last until July 17.
Earlier animal rights activists demanded to close the Ryazan "Entertaining Park" because of the cruel treatment of animals. In early June, the owner even promised to deal with the animals because of the constant attacks — activists posted correspondence on this subject in social networks. In "Interesting Park" group Visitors wrote the indignant responses: animals eat rotten hay, sheep have no shelter and live in the open sun, and swans look like dying. "Ryazan newspaper" reported that sheep escaped from "Entertaining Park" and were grazing on the roadway at the mall. Park employees were not able to keep track of the animals. However, it didn’t come to violence: at the end of June, animal rights activists managed to reach an agreement of improving animal welfare with the head.
The current "no touchable week" is not the first protest of Ryazan animal rights activists. On April 17 on the Lenin Square, they carried out a peaceful action "For a circus without animals". February 6, 2016, they protested against the use of animals in the entertainment industry. October 18, 2015, there was the largest in the history of the city animal protection rally. Then about 700 Ryazan citizens came out with the requirement to open shelter for homeless animals in the city.
Natalia Turchinskaya, «7x7»
