Sergei Skripal kept two guinea pigs, a black Persian cat. Some sources mention another cat. All animals are dead: two guinea pigs from dehydration, the cat was euthanized.
Relations between Russia and Great Britain have worsened against the background of the incident related to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Great Britain claims that our country is involved in the situation that has arisen. Russia, on the other hand, categorically denies its attitude to the event. The presence of nerve gas can be established by examining what happened to Sergei Skripal's pets.
The ex-GRU officer and his daughter were hospitalized on March 4, 2018 with signs of poisoning with the Novichok substance. The Russian Embassy in London sent a corresponding request to the British Foreign Office. This was done in order to understand: what really happened, whether the animals suffered from chemical poisoning.
From the niece of ex-GRU colonel Victoria Skripal it became known that two cats and the same number of guinea pigs lived in the house. One pet was brought from Moscow. According to one version, two guinea pigs and one black Persian cat lived in the house.
Information about the fate of animals is interesting not only from the point of view of:
- property rights;
- in terms of ensuring proper care of animals;
- ongoing investigation.
UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report
The chairman explained that when the vet was allowed into the house, two guinea pigs were dead. They died from dehydration. How this happened is still not clear, since it was previously said that the veterinarian was immediately allowed into the house.
There was a lot of controversy about the cat. He was found in poor condition, so the surgeon decided to euthanize him. What kind of suffering it was in the message is not mentioned.
Another cat managed to escape, its whereabouts remain unknown. The bodies of other animals were cremated in a laboratory located in Porton Down. This was done for safety reasons, as they could be infected. It was this laboratory that previously recognized it as impossible to establish the manufacturer of the substance with which they tried to kill the Skripals.
Contradictory versions
It has not yet been established what happened to the cat, despite the official response from the ministry:
- In some media it is mentioned that the pet was in a state of severe stress, so it was decided to put him to sleep.
- Others say that this action of veterinarians is associated with the fear that the cat has suffered from the action of the "Novice".
- There is an assumption that it was this animal that left the house, as previously reported by the neighbors.
Animal rights activists sounded the alarm, the head of the British branch of PETA blamed the death of pets on the British authorities. Activists insist on taking measures to prevent the occurrence of similar cases in the future.
Why is it important to know what happened to the animals?
For Russia, this is an opportunity to prove that it was not involved in the incident. Dmitry Peskov (press secretary of the Russian president) said that no one had asked to assist in the investigation of the situation.
A similar situation has already arisen, for example, in the case of Litvinenko, who died in 2006 in London from poisoning with radioactive polonium. A public inquiry into Litvinenko's death concluded that the murder was sanctioned by Russia. Another situation is when a Russian businessman died in 2012 under unknown circumstances. Poison experts said that the malicious intent of the death of a Russian entrepreneur cannot be completely ruled out.
Thus, all of Skripal's animals were cremated due to possible gas contamination. The question remains with one cat, which may still be alive.
