Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

New message received this morning, September 21, from Macedonia:

“Things are always getting worse in Vardarishte shelter, over 30 new employees are engaged picking up the dogs in three shifts, the shelter is cramped and the dogs disappear… It is strictly forbidden to take photos. When the volunteers enter the shelter, at least 3 persons follow you everywhere controlling any movement. Dogs are ill, there is no disinfection at all and at least the 70% of the puppies die in painful agony… Everything is imposed by that wicked mayor, but what can we do…?

At present only 2 volunteers are allowed to enter the shelter: a contract imposes that they must be the same persons everyday for 5 hours per day. Of course this is crazy and they studied it on purpose to make us things impossible, because we have to go to work, like everybody, and we only could manage it making shifts but this is not allowed… Anyway, we have to accept whatever they offer for the sake of those poor dogs, because it is of vital importance to supervise the situation. They are making provocations all the time and are always looking for new tricks to get us out…

We need your international support in order to make pressure on the local government. We have prepared an URGENT letter to the members of EUROGROUP, hoping they will react in any way to stop this horror.

Thank you for your help”

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TO: caroline.lucas@europarl.europa.eu; a.erler@eurogroupforanimals.org; s.vantichelen@eurogroupforanimals.org; b.krech@eurogroupforanimals.org; e.pierron@eurogroupforanimals.org; v.schmit@eurogroupforanimals.org; k.reid@eurogroupforanimals.org; m.courat@eurogroupforanimals.org; s.mclennan@eurogroupforanimals.org; i.reddish@eurogroupforanimals.org; l.dendas@eurogroupforanimals.org

SUBJECT: Please, help the dogs in Skopje, Macedonia

LETTER:

EURОGROUP FOR ANIMALS
6 rue des Patriotes B – 1000 Brussels
tel. +32 2 740 08 20
fax +32 2 740 08 29
http://www.eurogroupforanimals.org

To Whom It May Concern:

The reason we are writing you is to draw your attention to the suffering and killing of huge number of strayed dogs in Skopje, in facility which is supposed to implement a catch-neuter-release programme.

The city of Skopje has assigned a city communal services company, the public enterprise “Komunalna Higiena”, to run the facility and to be responsible for the process of catching and treating the dogs. The treatment should include de-worming, spaying/neutering of the dogs and returning them to the location where they were caught. Unfortunately, not only the programme is not being carried out according to the plan (officially there is about 60% of euthanasia, unofficially about 90%!), but the dogs kept in the holding facility are being mistreated and left to suffer from extremely bad conditions (too many dogs in one cage, concrete wet surface, often hungry, without enough drinking water, many of them are sick and are in same cage with healthy dogs). Furthermore, the facility’s management is not allowing visitors for adoption to come every day. Visitors can come only two days of the week, Fridays and Saturdays, from 9.00h-12.00h a.m. We believe that without a proper adoption plan, the catch-neuter-release programme can not be successful.

In addition to this, we would like to provide you with the following information:

– There is only one veterinarian in the holding facility. However, the dog catching team is constantly increasing the number of its members. Currently, there are 40 official dog-catchers. The dogs are being caught non-stop, because the dog catching service works in three shifts!

– The cages are too full. In most of the cages, there are over 15 dogs in one cage. There is no evidence of which dog has been caught, sterilized or euthanized, signed by a veterinarian who determined the reasons why the certain dog has been euthanized.

– The dogs are starved, the hygiene is intolerant, in fact, the holding facility is a source of diseases (Febris catarrhalis infectiosa canis and Parvovirosis). Majority of the small dogs die in terrible pain, without any veterinary care being provided.

– The dogs are treated like parasites, they are not being vaccinated against Rabies. Also, adoption and health documents are not issued for the adopted dogs.

– Majority of the dogs are never taken out of the cages.

– When the cages are being washed, the dogs are not taken out of the cages. They are forced to stay on wet and cold concrete floor. Many of the dogs, mostly the little ones die from Pneumonia.

– There are barely marked dogs, not more than 10 % of the caught dogs (dogs marked as sterilized and that need to be returned to their territory because they are healthy and non aggressive).

– It’s strictly forbidden to shoot pictures in the facility, or to record any video materials, everything with purpose to hide the truth and the real situation!

According to the information we have received backed up by statements and photographs, programme is not being implemented as planned and the dogs are randomly being euthanized in extremely huge numbers. The killing of numerous strayed dogs has never been a successful way of dealing with this problem. Today when animals have come to depend on us, this is a very cruel way to treat them. We believe that in the 21st century we do not need to prove that animals feel pain when being abused or killed!

In relation to this problem, we have often discussed with city authorities (major of the city of Skopje, Mr. Koce Trajanovski) and with “Komunalna Higiena” about the implementation of the programme mentioned above. Also all the biggest world association for protection of animals were informed and they reacted on this enormous killing and mistreatment of the dogs (PETA, WSPA, OIPA international, VIER Pfoten etc) but the situation is not changed. We believe that this elimination is the politic of the city, who would like to “solve the problem” of dog uncontrolled population by implementing mass liquidation and officially killing more than every second dog they catch. Addressing international organizations with a mission to help protect animals is our last hope, to be voice of the voiceless. Please help us to help these animals – only solution is urgent international help, pressure and support! Please contact us if you are willing to contact the city authorities of Skopje in order to react and to prevent the elimination and mistreatment of the dogs in Skopje.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours respectfully,