The use of animals as means of committing criminal acts
Subject. This article is devoted to the use of animals as a means of committing crimes. The purpose. To substantiate the use of animals as a means of committing criminal acts. Method or methodology. The methodological basis of the study consists of methods of analysis of legal sources of information, analysis, synthesis, as well as methods of induction and deduction. The results of the work. In the article, the authors analyze the concept of «service animal», explore the possibility of its application in the legal field, taking into account the current legislation. Conclusions. Malicious use of animals, in excess of official authority, can turn it into a «substitute weapon». This means that there may be cases when an animal-tool is transformed into an «animal-tool». In this case, we must determine the permissibility and legality not only based on the provisions of the legislation, but also taking into account the specific analysis of the case on the merits.