Past SAV posts relating to this case:
LATEST ***
Despite all out attempts by the authorities at the Vardariste street dog pound to stop photographs being taken, we have managed to obtain some from various contacts and sources. The photographs can be seen below in this post.
Macedonian volunteers have been doing what they can, trying to save the dogs at Vardariste. We now have disturbing reports from them on conditions. The volunteers feel that only internationals, in particular the EU, namely the Animal Welfare Intergroup, can help change the terrible conditions at Vardariste.
Volunteers have been threatened if they continue recounting the goings on, as the workers/sanitarnaya inspecktsia are clearly afraid of the EU finding out.
IT IS OUR INTENTION TO ENSURE THAT THE EU DOES FIND OUT ABOUT THE SITUATION IN VARDARISTE / SKOPJE, AND MACEDONIA IN GENERAL.
Vested interests are very likely in Vardariste, as they are in much of the Balkans.
A capture, spade and release programme is supposed to be happening, but actually money is probably being made in a typical Eastern European fashion:
1 by selling off the Eukanabia Dog Food meant for the dogs at the pound at half price.
2 if they kill all the dogs (since the government wants all street dogs killed) which stilll has an EU funded budget of 100,000 Euros a year for Vardariste, then it is very possible that the majority of the EU provided money could end up elsewhere. We call it ‘corruption’; what do others call it ?
For example, if it costs 300 macedonian to inject a dog (ie. to kill it) with soap or whatever and 1400 Maced to spade and release, then one can draw one’s own conclusions.
There is a 100,000 Euros EU budget a year allocation (according to information we have been given) for Vardariste, but there is nothing there only starving dogs that are killed.
And as the dogs at the pound keep disappearing (ie. are killed off), to be replaced by new ones, they are all held in appalling, overcrowded cages. SAV have witnesses who can attest to this should legal action need to be taken in the future.
It is understood that the current death rate for the Vardariste pound is 97%.
The incredible thing which actually happens is the lies and more lies which keep being told at Vardariste pound itself and in the government controlled press about the ‘wonderful conditions’ at the facility.
Judge for yourself the alleged ‘wonderful conditions’ at Vardariste pound, by looking at the following photographs.
More disturbing is the fact that most people cannot go in and feed the dogs now as the head of Vardariste has closed it to visitors on Saturdays between 9-12.
Now it is only opened for adoption on Fridays between 9-12 when everyone is working.
So dogs are rounded up and go into the pound; the food which is supposed to be for them is sold off at half price as a corruption scam; the pound is closed to visitors now on a Saturday and only opened for 3 hours on a Friday when everyone is at work.
It would appear to us that the situation at Vardariste is almost like that of a ‘death camp’ – with no chance of dogs ever being adopted by people. Instead they are held in cages, not fed, killed off and then replaced by yet more dogs captured from the streets.
All seems perfect for the Vardariste authorities, especially as they are being funded to the tune of 100,000 Euros a year by the European Union.
The EU Animal welfare Intergroup and the EU Parliament in general now needs to intervene and stop this funding as a primary concern. This may need to be done in the form of an EU delegation visit to the alleged ‘wonderful conditions’ at Vardariste pound, to ascertain exactly what is being done with the EU budget funding and to inspect the condition of animals at the pounds; including the numbers of adoptions.
We feel strongly that orders need to be given to and legal action needs to be taken by the EU against the authorities of Vardariste, including the Mayor who we have exposed in past SAV posts – see the links at the start of this article.
SAV are today, 09/10/09, providing a full copy of this post to the President of the EU Animal Welfare Intergroup, requesting that immediate and effective action is taken within the EU Parliament to question what is actually being doone with the EU funded budget of 100,000 Euros a year for Vardariste.
We also request that you, especially EU citizens, provide a copy of this article to your own national MEPs, again demanding that investigations be undertaken by the EU into their funding of Vardariste.
If (EU and Non EU) supporters wish to take direct, independent action for the dogs, then letters can be writen and mailed directly to:
Major of the city of Skopje,
Mr. Koce Trajanovski :gradonacalnik@skopje.gov.mk
Prime Minister of R. Macedonia,
Nikola Gruevski http://www.vlada.mk/?q=contact
When we have more information, which may include a response from EU Parliamentary contacts, we will update this site to reflect happenings.
Finally, if the authorities of Vardariste legally object to what is being stated /declared in this post, then we feel that we have enough witnesses who have personal experiences of the situation at Vardariste pound to present a detailed and valid representation to any authorities should it be necessary.
Regards SAV.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, MACEDONIA (Capital - Skopje), PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SHELTER - Information | 2 Comments »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 