Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 SCIENCE MAY HAVE FOUND A CURE FOR MOST EVILS;

BUT IT HAS FOUND NO REMEDY FOR THE WORST OF THEM ALL;

THE APATHY OF THE HUMAN BEING.

 Mahatma Gandhi, (1869–1948)

“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man”.

Dear friends;

“Serbian Animals Voice” (SAV) alliance is a completely volunteer run organisation which primarily campaigns for the better treatment of all animals within the Balkans states; especially on behalf of stray / roaming street animals. 

Over the last few years we have ‘spread its wings’ to expand our campaign work to cover many worldwide animal welfare issues.  SAV is a completely non-violent organisation which undertakes all of its campaigning through information networking and the written word. 

We ask you please when you can to support any e mailing, letter writing or petition signing which we may request on any of our posts.  We DO NOT HAVE ANY FINANCIAL INTERESTS FOR THE GROUP, and we are self funded.  All we ask is if you are considering giving a donation to us, you instead find the group or organisation of your choice from our posts, and give directly to them; by-passing us.  There are lots of animal groups around the world who are desperate for donations – we will attempt to show some of these and then leave the rest to you to decide if and where your donation goes.

SAV has a large worldwide supporter network, which can be viewed at http://www4.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?user=9b44b4e0  – the clustrmap (map of the world is shown on the site and is archived every March.  The size of the ‘red dots’ represents the number of visitors from that region of the world.

All work undertaken by SAV campaigners is done entirely on a voluntary basis because of their respect for life for all animal species.  No financial benefits or incentives of any kind are given to any person undertaking work for the SAV Team.

The aim of SAV is to work with Balkan state animal welfare organisations in order to achieve the enforcement of currently existing national legislation for stray and all animals throughout the Balkans states, but especially within Serbia,  Implementation of, and adhesion to national legislation is a prime requirement which has to be shown to be enforced by any future states requiring accession (membership) of the European Union (EU); and this includes Serbia.

We will hold Serbia to prove they are enforcing existing national animal welfare legislation, and where they are not, we will show the failures along with identifying these failures to the authorities of the EU.   SAV has regular liaison with the European Union Parliament Animal Welfare Eurogroup and every MEP throughout the Union to inform them of the situation for stray animals within the Balkans, and for EU and other global wide animal welfare issues.  

This site was created by an international group of friends in the UK, Italy, Germany and Serbia and is 

Especially DEDICATED TO SERBIAN and BALKANS ANIMALS.

The site was initially founded as a support group to help Serbian stray animals, but has now spread issues far and wide since those early days !

TEAM SAV – Fighting for Better Animal Welfare

The SAV Team is comprised of the following principal members:

Mark Johnson

Mark is an Englishman who has been involved directly with live animal transport investigations and campaigning in England, UK, for around 25 years.  In 2003 he made formal presentations to the UK Government Ministry – DEFRA (previously  MAFF) regarding his investigation work into the export of British horses to mainland Europe for meat, although the animals were not identified as officially going to Europe for slaughter.

Mark lives in Kent on the South East corner of England and is the EU Correspondent, Legal Beagle and web site producer for (Kent, England, UK based) animal welfare and anti live export organisation, “Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE)”

- please visit their web site at  http://www.kaale.org.uk/

In this position, Mark has written and submitted over 28 formal papers / official complaints to the EU and EU member state ministries / authorities on behalf of KAALE in relation to live animal transport investigations (breaches of EU Regulations in Transport) which were undertaken during the period 2003-2013.  In his position of EU Correspondent and by doing this investigative work, Mark has established an excellent working relationship with members of DG SANCO Legal Affairs  team; the EU animal welfare team based in Brussels, Belgium, and more recently, with the EU Eurogroup / Intergroup for Animal Welfare.   In 2012, Mark formally wrote to the EU Legal team regarding investigations by Dutch colleagues into the treatment of British calves exported from the UK to other EU nations such as Hungary.  His latest work also involves cooperating with a Dutch animal welfare organisation to submit formal evidence to ensure that the EU regulations are enforced regarding access to all animals carried in closed ‘box’ trailers which are now being regularly used within the EU.  At a meeting in Amsterdam on April 4th between the Dutch authorities and animal welfare organsation involved, some very promising results have been achieved.

Above – A ‘sealed box’ trailer filled with live sheep boards at Ramsgate (UK) for a

Channel crossing to Calais, France

During 2010 – In addition to SAV, Mark worked with the same Dutch investigator friends at ‘Eyes on Animals’    http://eyesonanimals.com/   , as well as with Animals’ Angels   http://www.animals-angels.de/startseite,en_ORG.html  and PMAF   http://www.pmaf.org/  to produce a 125 page investigation report for the EU Legal Affairs team in Brussels, Members of the European Parliament (MEP’s) and UK Parliamentarians, a report which investigated live animal (calves) transport between certain, specific (EU) member states.  This work took around six months and was completed in September (2010).  Dozens of copies of the investigation report have been forwarded to the EU Commission legal department, to the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), to animal welfare spokespersons of each of the UK main political parties, and also to animal welfare campaigners around Europe.  A second print run of the report was undertaken during 2011 due to further demand.

At this present time (2013), Mark is very involved with the (UK) campaign to stop live animal exports from the UK, as well as doing some monitoring work for Irish welfare orgamnisations regarding live Beef animals being shipped from Ireland to Libya for ritual slaughter.  As part of the UK export campaigning, he is working with friends and associates at the RSPCA, CIWF and Thanet District Council, the owners of Ramsgate port in Kent; which has been the only UK port used for regular live animal exports.

For 23 years, Mark worked full time as a Technical Author in British and European Military Aircraft Flight Control System Engineering, specialising in the writing and production of Technical Manuals for the Panavia ‘Tornado’ – (  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panavia_Tornado ) Autopilot and Flight Control Systems and associated ground test equipment.  These manuals were for military customers including the Royal Air Force, German and Italian Air Forces and the Royal Saudi Air Force.  Mark also wrote technical manuals and undertook flight trial work associated with Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) systems as used by specialist areas of the UK forces.

See more on the Tornado via the following links;

- Enjoy the ride !! -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVrhNpeV-k0&feature=fvsr

Be a Tornado GR4 Back Seater -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=ZOe5CpcgD8U

This next video also shows RAF ‘Tornado’ aircraft, but additionally shows RAF ‘Buccaneer’ (2 seat) and ‘Jaguar’ (single seat) aircraft on low level missions across the desert areas of Saudi Arabia:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1NDllRFbsY&feature=endscreen&NR=1

See Tornado low level through the Welsh mountains – now that’s good flight controls !  :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQz-5HclDo&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Having finished work after 23 years in the UK aerospace industry, he now devotes all of his voluntary time to animal welfare campaigning, ‘SAV’ (Stray animals – this site) and Live Animal Export investigation work (for KAALE and other organisations) / campaigning being his two main areas of interest.  Mark campaigns about many issues of global animal welfare, especially factory farming, fur, bear bile production and hunting.

Mark has been a Veggie / Vegan for 23 years and has a policy of never eating anything “that ever had a face” !! – why should a beautiful animal have to die to put a meal on my plate ?

He has one dog and one cat – Golda (his dog) and Arianne – who was named after a girl on a Led Zeppelin track.

Golda enjoying the snow in Kent

Mark had 23 fabulous years working on a whole global range of fast military jets, but enjoys each day now which is completely devoted to animal welfare issues.   To have a break from what seems to be endless animal work, Mark is a very keen Bonsai tree grower in his spare time.

He is a GREAT lover of music, with favourite artists including:

Morrissey – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-8AR7XQ2K4 

Guns n Roses – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbUC-UaAxE

The Clash – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c 

Led Zeppelin – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YZb8s7Kxa4

Queen – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDckgX3oU_w

Siouxsie and the Banshees - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN2UosfpqYA

The Damned – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpU4A4N6xrs

The Stranglers – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7R7q1lSZfs

ZZ Top – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8SApalIE4

Kate Bush – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl9OKddQBRg

Hugh Cornwell – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKLXqsWtjFw

Lisa Stansfield – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3btDxqZ6OI4 

and Bob Marley – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yToQTg1pGkY

to name just a few.

Mark has been a dedicated animal campaigner since he was given his first dog at the age of four.  He is especially devoted to stopping the long distance transportation of live animals, a campaign which he is still involved with (through KAALE) and which he shares with the day to day running of SAV.

I use both my main areas of work; live animal exports and the expose of Balkans animal suffering, to compliment each other.  What I learn from one issue I then apply to the campaigning of the other.  The EU legal department relationships that have been established in my live export work over the years will in no doubt become very useful when Serbia and other Balkans states become EU members.  I predict that a lot of evidence and paperwork will be going to Brussels then, detailing the animal abuses and illegal things which we are finding in places such as Serbia.

But for all visitors of this SAV site; there is one simple but vital thing to remember -

“Good Animal welfare campaigning is about making a difference for all the animals who suffer, not about making a name for yourself.  No matter who you are, where you are or what little or big campaign thing you are able to do, just do it; you may very well be the ‘one’ individual that makes that final difference and brings success to any specific campaign”.

We all do what we can; no more, no less.   And we do it for the animals of this world.

Mark was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2000.  He is a supporter of forward looking (non animal medical) research.  Animal testing is a thing of the past and should only be in history books now – and I say that as an MS sufferer; someone who wants a cure for something; but which will not come through animal testing, as animals dont have MS; so why artificially create it in them and then attempt to find a cure using them ? – it makes no sense.   Why not find out using genetics what makes animals different from us (autoimmune illness) and why they dont get MS and yet we do ?  – that to me is progressive research; not simply cutting up animals aka big pharma.  Marks MS causes him problems every single day, but he is still one of the walking wounded.  You can still live your life and above all, fight for the better treatment of animals”.  “That is how it has been, how it is, and that is how it will continue”.  Every single day is devoted to animal welfare issues and trying to keep my MS problems under a bit of control; which kind of keeps me fairly busy to say the least !!

Team SAV – Fighting for Better Animal Welfare

Dr. Medicine Slavica Mazak Bešlić

Situation as of – April 2013

Slavica is the President of the organisation EPAR, which is based in Subotica, Serbia.  In 2010, Slavica stopped running the animal shelter part of EPAR, which was called Friend – EPAR.  The animal shelter section of EPAR has now been taken over by a lady named Adriana.  Friend – EPAR shelter was the biggest No Kill shelter in Serbia; and this policy is now continuing through Adriana.

Adriana has now given a new name to the shelter that she works with; the old Friend – EPAR shelter.  This shelter is now called (shelter) ALEX.

Slavica continues to run EPAR as an organisation, but this is now specifically dedicated to more legal matters such as campaigning for the implementation of existing national legislation; bringing charges against those who are illegally doing cruelty to animals, and charges against hunters, environmental destruction work etc.

We are currently trying to obtain new bank details for shelter ALEX.  All of the bank information associated with Friend – EPAR has now been removed from the information given here, as this bank account no longer exists. 

When we have new bank details from Adriana for shelter ALEX, we will include them here.  This will allow donations to be made directly to the current shelter arrangement.

Important – the links below show many photographs of the old Friend – EPAR shelter. 

** The bank information provided on these posts below is NO LONGER VALID **.

New bank details will be included here when we have them.

Here are some old photograph links to what was originally Friend – EPAR shelter, and which is now called ALEX:

http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/serbia-latest-pictures-from-epar-shelter-subotica/

http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/serbia-june-2010-new-pictures-of-the-rescued-stray-dogs-at-epar-shelter/

http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/serbia-more-photographs-from-epar-shelter-subotica/

http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/serbia-new-photographs-from-epar-shelter/

Slavica is a medical doctor with specialist practice in gynecology and obstetrics, and a superspecialist for untrasound techniques in gynecology.

Slavica worked as the senior / manager of the department for tumors at the city hospital in Subotica (Serbia) for over 15 years.

She has undertaken numerous operations associated with tumors in gynecology, such as the Wertheim – Meigs technique.

She now operates her own private gynecology facility known as “Ginekos”, still within Subotica city.

Slavica has always supported animal welfare / rights. She allocates the vast majority of the finances from her gynecology speciality into funding the construction and operations of stray dog and cat shelters, and has often had to endure personal attack, criticism and negative experiences from many of the local authorities around the Subotica area.

Slavica has endured personal criticism of her work for the animals by others working within administration departments of Belgrade City authority.

Slavica shares her home with animals that she has rescued from the local streets as strays. 

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Team SAV – Fighting for Better Animal Welfare

Paola Ghidotti

Paola is an Italian girl who does wonderful work for animals; and she has been the founder of the following:

World Wide Legal Action 4 Animal Rights

World Wide – (Legal) Action 4 Animal Rights is a dynamic global group, it is an online animal rights resource with the mission to advocate for animal-rights and to help reduce animal suffering through education and non-violent action.

Animals are counting on compassionate people like you to give them a voice and be their heroes by learning about the issues they face and taking action.

Legal Action for Animal Rights” groups started in 2007 as a yahoo group. Since then it has gown into an international network consisting of groups and individuals from around the world who have united together for our one common goal: to help animals

World Wide Legal Action 4 Animal Rights supports non violent action and peaceful actions.

Thank you in advance for helping us make a difference in the lives of so many by spreading the message of love and respect for all animals.

Links:

http://legalaction4animalrights.net/

https://twitter.com/paola_ghidotti

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/LAAR

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LegalAction4AnimalRights/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LegalAction4AnimalRights/

Care for Chinese Animals

 

Founded by Paola Ghidotti (Italy) in 2011, “Care for Chinese Animals”, is a growing group of individuals from around the world, united to support China’s Animal Advocacy.

We work in collaboration with animal advocates in China to inform and educate the general public about Animal Rights Issues in China. This group’s aim is to network and raise support to the animal rights activists working within China.

The Chinese Animal Rights activists are doing a great job in China to inform about the dog/cat meat and fur trade, to save the animals.

Animal suffering in China is huge and growing. Whether it be by individuals or in industries, millions of cats, dogs, rabbits, foxes, bears, cows, pigs etc. are horribly abused.

At the same time, there is no legislation to protect them whatsoever, which leaves local animal welfare groups stand empty-handed in their battle against cruelty in China.

China has only some laws protecting endangered species of wild animals, but no protection for other animals within the country.

We stand next to Chinese activists

Links:

http://careforchineseanimals.net/

http://twitter.com/chineseanimals

https://www.facebook.com/CareforChineseAnimals

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/careforchineseanimals

Victories for the animals

 

Here on this site is a selection of victories that have helped make the world a better place for animals.

Every action we take, every letter we write, every time we speak up for animals, it gives them another chance to live.

You know, that when it comes to helping the animals who suffer on this planet, there are no boundaries, no borders and no language barriers. We unite together, join hands and campaign to end all suffering, and WE SEE the results here in the VICTORIES FOR THE ANIMALS !

Never underestimates the power of the written word: while a single letter or email may not seem like much, the collective expression of many people’s opinions can help bring about real change. When you send letters and ask yourself “will this do any good?”, let this be a reminder that, together, our voices can be quite loud, and people do listen.

Link:

http://victoriesfortheanimals.wordpress.com/

Seal Alert SA (support group)

http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/112496080882/

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And finally, respect ALL animal and plant life;

- We only have ONE Planet – lets keep it good ok !

do what you can to protect it, speak out in defence of it, detest cruelty and environmental destruction;

 

So, Put on your goggles, hit the road and campaign for worldwide animal welfare and environmental issues !