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Canine catastrophe: Dozens of dogs found dead in Murmansk animal shelter

The dogs presumably died of starvation, according to a local police source

© Artiom Geodakyan/TASS

MURMANSK, December 11. /TASS/. Police have discovered the carcasses of dozens of dogs in an animal shelter in the Murmansk Region, located in Russia’s remote northwest.

"A criminal case has been launched against unidentified persons into evidence of crimes committed as Part 1 of Article 245 of the Russian Criminal Code "Cruel treatment of animals." The detectives will find out who is responsible for this incident," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

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The officers seized documents belonging to the center’s administration.

The dogs presumably died of starvation, a local police source told TASS.

Earlier, prosecutors conducted several checks at the animal shelter, which is located in region’s Kolsky district, but came up empty-handed.

This time, the checks were carried out owing to a complaint filed by a Murmansk citizen. She visited the center looking for her missing pet, but she saw another dog, which was starving. The woman took the animal with her to a veterinarian clinic, but the dog died on the way there.

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