Owners of dogs that died after receiving Russian vaccine Multikan-8 were offered payouts for dropped claims and silence

Vetbiokhim, the maker of the Russian vaccine Multikan-8, has drawn up settlement agreements with owners of dogs that died after being vaccinated with the drug, the news outlet Ostorozhno, Moskva reported, citing posts in private chats used by those affected.

The company is offering to reimburse verified expenses and pay separate compensation for emotional distress. Those affected say the payments range from 200,000-300,000 rubles.

Under the agreement, an owner whose dog died must waive any further claims against the company and keep the circumstances of the case and the compensation amount confidential. It also bars them from discussing what happened to their pet with the media, on social media, or in messaging apps without the company’s consent.

Vetbiokhim does not directly acknowledge any link between the vaccine and the animals’ deaths: the document instead refers to “the animal’s death, possibly following vaccination.” The authenticity of the published document has not been confirmed.

One of the largest chats for people affected by Multikan-8 was deleted from the Max messenger amid reports of Vetbiokhim’s settlement offer, the independent Russian media outlet Takie Dela reported. Dog owners had used the chat since mid-August to describe the aftermath of their pets’ vaccinations.

Vetbiokhim confirmed to the Russian business news outlet RBC that its agreements “on providing financial assistance to owners” of dogs that died include a confidentiality clause. The agreements vary individually in content, and the confidentiality provision reflects “standard legal practice,” a company representative said.

Reports of mass deaths among dogs vaccinated with the Russian-made vaccine Multikan-8 first surfaced in mid-August. At least 300 animals are known to have died. Their owners, among other things, asked deputies in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, to look into what happened.

The manufacturer says its investigation into the deaths is ongoing. Some owners of the dogs that died linked the deaths to contamination of the Multikan-8 vaccine with the virus that causes Aujeszky’s disease (pseudorabies), though Vetbiokhim says its own research found no such contamination. The company recalled four batches of the Multikan vaccine after the first reports of dog deaths.

Imported veterinary drugs, including vaccines, disappeared from the Russian market after Western sanctions and corporate withdrawals followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Veterinary clinics now mostly carry Russian-made drugs.