MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI) – Lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Vitaly Pashin and Danil Shilkov, have submitted a bill to the State Duma establishing a position of animal ombudsman, according to the database of the lower house of parliament.

An explanatory note to the bill says that animal ombudsman would advocate for the rights of animal owners, develop and submit proposals on improving legal loopholes concerning protection and safety of animals’ living.

Under the bill, an ombudsman would also cooperate with rights advocacy groups, appoint his or her representatives exercising their powers pro bono.

Establishment of such post in Russia will make it possible to protect not only domestic animals people but rare species of wild animals as well, the bill reads.

There were more cases of animal cruelty recently.

On November 11, a court in Russia’s far eastern city of Khabarovsk ordered the detention of two 17-year old girls who were charged with animal abuse. The girls published images of animal cruelty on the Internet. Investigators allege that they abused about 15 animals and birds. 15 biological material samples and spoils of two animals were seized by law enforcement officers. A cat’s skull was found during searches at the apartments of one of the girls.