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Russia: dogs vaccination causes mass death

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02.09.2029 Duma deputies have requested an investigation into the massive deaths of dogs after vaccination with Multikan-8. (Image: courtesy Engin Akyurt)

According to information received by parliamentarians, at least 300 owned animals passed away.
Members of the State Duma working group on improving legislation protecting citizens from attacks by stray animals have asked the Investigative Committee (IC) and the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the circumstances of the alleged mass deaths of dogs after vaccination with the rabies drug Multikan-8, manufactured by Vetbiokhim LLC.

Communist deputy Nina Ostanina (CPRF), head of the working group and head of the Duma Committee on Family Protection, sent corresponding requests to Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin and Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan. Another request was sent to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev. Vedomosti newspaper has reviewed copies of the documents.

The requests were prompted by media reports of animal deaths after the use of Multikan-8 and numerous complaints from dog owners. They came from the Moscow region, the Trans-Urals, and Tatarstan, Ostanina told Vedomosti. Working group members Vladimir Samokish (Kemerovo and Tomsk regions), Raisa Karmazina (Stavropol region), and Alexey Kornienko (Far East regions) also received letters of indignation from animal owners.

Within one to three days after vaccination, dogs allegedly developed severe neurological symptoms and internal bleeding, after which the animals died, according to Ostanina’s letter to Patrushev. According to the data presented to the deputies, there may be at least 300 dead dogs, although no systematic accounting of affected animals is maintained in the country.

On August 18, 2026, Vetbiokhim launched an investigation, including a repeat quality control check of archived samples of the 20th batch of the Multikan-8 vaccine. This particular batch may have been responsible for the dog deaths in the Yaroslavl region, according to the Vetbiokhim website. Moreover, a study published in April 2026 by the Research Institute for Diagnostics and Prevention of Human and Animal Diseases, in collaboration with the manufacturer, showed that vaccinating puppies of various breeds, including small toy dogs, with Multikan-8 is safe.

Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) has identified possible manufacturing violations in the Multikan-8 dog vaccine produced by Vetbiokhim.

Vaccine Sales
From January to July 2026, just over 1 million doses of the Multikan-8 vaccine were sold in Russia, worth 883 million rubles. This represents an 8% decrease in volume compared to the previous year, according to Nikolai Bespalov, Development Director of the analytical company RNC Pharma. Thus, Multikan-8 accounted for almost half (49%) of all rabies vaccine doses sold for dogs. Asterion DHPPILR, also from Vetbiokhim, ranked second. It accounted for 19% of the market, with its sales almost tripling year-on-year, Bespalov noted.
As Sergei Dankvert, head of Rosselkhoznadzor, reported on August 31, the agency had identified possible technological violations in the production of the Multikan-8 dog vaccine. Preliminary data indicates serious deviations from the technological process, which could lead to consequences including the revocation of the manufacturer’s license, he told correspondent Alexander Yunashev in a video published on his Yunashev Live channel on Max. Dankvert added that the prosecutor’s office’s approval to collect vaccine samples is expected this week.

One possible reason cited by the deputies who filed appeals to the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the government is the suspected presence of Aujeszky’s virus in the vaccine. The parliamentarians also cite reports that veterinary laboratories are allegedly refusing to test biomaterials for owners of deceased dogs, and recommending cremation of the animals’ carcasses without autopsy. According to the petitioners, this hinders an objective assessment of the causes of the incident and the recording of evidence. Furthermore, the working group received information about the delivery of previously suspended vaccine batches to veterinary clinics.

Only accredited laboratories are authorized to conduct testing for Aujeszky’s virus, so a private clinic’s refusal to perform such testing is not always illegal, explained Marina Golovanova, a lawyer at Key Consulting Group. However, if the disease is suspected, special rules apply: the state veterinary service must be notified, pathological material must be collected, and sent for testing. Cremation of an animal before sampling does not comply with established procedures and is therefore illegal, she added.

Ostanina asks Bastrykin to conduct an investigation and determine whether there are signs of a crime in the actions of officials and representatives of the manufacturer. The deputies ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to review the actions of the manufacturer, regulatory authorities, and veterinary institutions, and to assess the refusals to conduct laboratory testing.

In its appeal to Patrushev, the working group requests coordination of efforts.

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