ANIMAL PROTECTION IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND RUSSIA: A COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS

The article studies the main international legal sources in the field of animal protection adopted by the Council of Europe, as well as normative legal acts regulating this problem in Russia. The author considers the concept of animal welfare, which has become the basis for the adoption of the most important international legal documents of the Council of Europe regulating the treatment of animals in various areas of their use. The main approaches to the international legal protection of pets as well as farm, laboratory and wild animals in various fields of human activity, which is subject to legal regulation in the Council of Europe, are described; the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts underlying it are noted. Particular attention is paid to a holistic approach to protecting wild animals around the world. The author analyses the current Russian legislation to determine whether it complies with existing international legal standards. The main acts of national legislation are studied in order to identify the main imperfections of the legal policy for the protection of animals; some advantages and disadvantages of the normative legal regulation of public relations with the use of animals in Russia are noted.