You may remember our post of 18th August regarding the great news that Leskovac City in Southern Serbia had started a no-kill sterilisation programme for stray and roaming animals; attempting to reduce animal numbers without undertaking any killings.
Original SAV Link:
We sent our thanks to the officials of Leskovac city for being so positive thinking and decisive regarding their city future approach to stray and roaming animal management.
Well we have some further great news to share now, as we hoped we would be able to give when we wrote our August post.
Leskovac City Arms
On 25th September 2009, Leskovac city has gone further in its attempts to solve its stray and roaming animal troubles. It has now produced a second and vitally important document – a scheme which allows pet owners to sterilise and undertake anti tetanus vaccinations of their dogs and cats by an approved veterinarian using money / funding provided from the local municipal budget of Leskovac city.
The documentation declares that if for any reason, pet owners do NOT want their animal to be sterilised, then they, the owner have to declare this in writing on a form to the city authorities. As a response the city authorities will send inspectors to the owners of the animals approximately 3 or 4 times every year. If the owners re home or sell these un-sterilised animals, then they are obliged to keep the necessary documentation about the animal for at least 2 years. If the owners of the animals do not comply with these requirements, they will be given a financial fine.
In addition, it is a requirement that all dogs and cats MUST be microchipped and vaccinated in agreement with existing Serbian national legislation.
program kontrole brojnosti Leskovac
This is considered to be a great forward step for stray and roaming animals – because now this is a documented, legal way of undertaking the no kill sterilisation strategy which we have campaigned for in Serbia for years.
We very much trust that now they have produced all this legislation for stray and roaming (owned) animals in the city, the authorities of Leskovac city will fully implement them. We are sure that they will and we say ‘Thank You’ to Leskovac City for being so forward thinking about animal numbers control programmes.
Further, we are informed that Leskovac city has now undertaken the construction of a No Kill Delta shelter for animals; a shelter which will comply with all the national legislation for shelters.
Leskovac must be congratulated for being the first city in Serbia to undertake such measures for stray and roaming (owned) animal control programmes. This is a model of preventing unwanted animal births whilst at the same time financially punishing animal oweners who do not have their animals sterilised in the attempt to reduce and control the cities animal population. Remember, although they are owned by someone, many animals are put out every day by their owners. If these animals have not been, or are still not sterilised, then there is a daily chance that further production of new litters can happen. Sterilsed animals cannot produce young; so we ask that all pet owners have their animals go through this procedure, unless there are specific reasons why it cannot be undertaken.
Serbian campaigners have already sent a request to government authorities in Belgrade requesting that all the other 134 community / authorities in Serbia now undertake the same policies as that running in Leskovac city.
Leskovac city is the first and a shining example of an authority which decides to be a no kill animal control authority, supported by a programme of animal microchipping, sterilisation and vaccination against disease. And funded from the city budget !
As has been requested, we hope that this programme will now be used as a model by all 134 authorities throughout Serbia, and that gradually over time, we will begin to see stray and roaming (owned) animal numbers reduce. This will be our aim, to have a day when no animals are caught and then killed in authority shelters and pounds as we have exposed so many times in the past.
Thank You Leskovac City for being such a forward thinking and animal welfare supportive city.
We ask please that you send letters of thanks and support for their programme to the officials at Leskovac City. Contact details are as follows. Please inform them that they have become famous internationally for their positive approach to stray and roaming animal control programmes.
E mails to: lodamiloda@hotmail.com
CC copies can also be made to Serbian national authorities at:
snezana.poledica@minpolj.gov.rs
also ‘Bcc’ please to: epar@yunord.net
Link to Leskovac City: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leskovac
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia |
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 
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