According to Astana TV, most of the animals purchased died within the first few days after acquisition.
It turned out that the woman was posting ads for purebred kittens at attractive prices ranging from 40,000 to 200,000 tenge. The descriptions claimed that the animals supposedly had all the necessary vaccinations and veterinary passports. However, after the purchase, new owners faced a horrifying truth: the kittens were seriously ill.
"After we bought the kitten, it got worse; it wasn’t eating anything and even stopped drinking. So, we went to the veterinarian, who said that it was indeed sick and that all the vaccinations we had and the veterinary passport we received were forgeries. The kitten had no vaccinations at all." A resident of Astana, Niyala Rodionova
Later, the women discovered a group on social media where victims shared similar stories. It became evident that the fraudster was not limited to Astana; she was sending kittens and puppies all over Kazakhstan. One of the victims, Aliya Dautova, confessed that her treatment cost her half a million tenge.
"I found the ad on OLX, and the breeder assured me that they were professional breeders with over 10 years of experience, who had a kennel, an individual entrepreneur status, and a license. It all turned out to be untrue. I bought the kitten for 80,000 tenge. My treatment cost about half a million. Currently, there are 79 of us filing a lawsuit. Out of those 79 people, only seven, including me, have animals that are still alive." A resident of Astana, Aliya Dautova
Veterinarians emphasize that selling kittens under two months old without vaccinations is a serious violation. At this age, their immune system is not yet developed, making them particularly vulnerable to viral infections.
"The animal must have a passport, and the kitten should be at least two and a half months old, preferably vaccinated twice, with the vaccines listed in the passport and being of good quality. If the kitten is under two months old, it means it hasn’t been vaccinated. It’s advisable to buy kittens older than two months. Kittens under a year can have viral diseases like feline panleukopenia, which has a mortality rate of up to 90%. We frequently receive cases of this disease, I believe on a daily basis." Veterinarian Bibaltyn Kairgeldina
Experts recommend purchasing pets from specialized kennels and ensuring that all necessary documents are available. However, on specialized platforms, there are a considerable number of ads for the sale of purebred cats. The schemes are the same; breeders only work with delivery, which excludes the possibility of seeing the living conditions of the animals and confirming their health.
Meanwhile, the police confirmed that a collective complaint had been filed with the Esil District Police Department by citizens demanding accountability for the breeder.
"A criminal case has been initiated in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under part 1 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'Fraud' against citizen A. Currently, the criminal case is under the investigator's jurisdiction." Press service of the Astana Police Department
However, the victims believe that the case should be classified under stricter articles. They want the breeder to be held accountable for animal cruelty. The victims continue to fight for justice, hoping that the case will receive the proper legal assessment and that the guilty parties will be punished.
Earlier, Zakon.kz compiled a Top 5 list of endangered cat breeds.