Serbia: Government and Authorities Abuse Human and Animal Rights by Attempting to Close Down Private Funded Shelter Which Will Result in All Animal Deaths – Please take ACTION NOW – Sample Letter Included.

Below you will see a call by Serbian activists to a local judge regarding the situation where a communal inspector has taken a charge against an animal welfare campaigner – Mrs Rada Zivanovic, because she has many stray animals at her home which she cares for.

The communal inspector has demanded that the animals be moved out of Mrs Rada Zivanovic’s home.

 

 

But where do they go to ? – in Loznica where Mrs Rada Zivanovic lives, there is only one completely and utterly disgusting dog ‘shelter’ (see photos in links below) and NO CAT shelter !

So, where do the cats go ? – other than outside to their deaths.

Loznica dog ‘shelter’ (?)  links:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/serbia-180510-new-photographs-of-loznica-pound-animal-killings-and-conditions-at-city-dump-no-wonder-stray-animals-are-attracted/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/serbia-loznica-again-female-dog-saved-from-being-buried-alive-proof-of-the-killings-done-by-the-city-shinters-bodies-dumped-openly-on-the-city-dump-adjacent-to-the-animal-pound/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/serbia-loznica-city-further-rabies-necessary-killings-by-hunters-and-shinters-acting-under-orders-from-government/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/serbia-loznica-city-shelter-captured-stray-dogs-used-for-target-practice-by-local-hunters/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/serbia-loznica-city-pound-3-million-dinars-for-what-certainly-not-for-animal-welfare-politicians-maybe/

If the communal inspector gets his way and the animals are removed from the home of Mrs Rada Zivanovic, then we can see no other way but that the animals will all be killed.

Campaigners now consider that a letter should be sent from global campaigners in support of Mrs Rada Zivanovic.  These letters should be sent to the Mayor of Loznica and to Mr Zoran Micovic – Director of  the Veterinary department.  Mrs Rada Zivanovic has now been advised that she should undertake actions to make her home and animal sanctuary a private cat and dog shelter.

This is what Mrs Rada Zivanovic has done, but she is very concerned.  She is concerned that any judge who is involved in this process will demand that something is ‘wrong’ at the animal shelter and will stop her shelter request.

Animals at the home of and being cared for by Mrs Rada Zivanovic are all sterilised and vaccinated; apart from any new arrivals.  Mrs Rada Zivanovic is having new animals thrown over the fence into her home or simply left at the front door.

And do the government and the authorities and the veterinary department ever want to do anything to help ?

– NO, they have one solution to every situation like this, and that is to kill, kill, kill.

Mrs Rada Zivanovic is described as an animal angel, NOT a criminal.  But the communal inspector is treating her like a criminal and is making attempts to kill all the animals in her care; for which she is never financially helped from a corrupt government and authority system which looks after itself but never any animals as it should – Kill, kill, kill – the Serbian government and authorities policy on animal ‘welfare’.

The government and the authorities do not respect Serbian citizens animal welfare work.  In addition, as we have so often shown, the government and authorities do not implement their own national legislation for animal welfare.  Serbia is a corrupt nation run by corrupt people.

The authorities attempt to undermine existing legislation by producing their own underlaws which show no respect for either animal or citizens human rights.

The authorities try anything they can to punish citizens.

SAMPLE LETTER    SAMPLE LETTER 

Please send your letters to:

vetuprava@minpolj.gov.rs ; s.celebicanin@minpolj.gov.rs ; vetinspekt@gmail.comzoran.micovic@minpolj.gov.rs ; goran.milosev@minpolj.gov.rs ; zoran.marinkovic@minpolj.gov.rsgradonacelnik@loznica.rs

IN ADDITION, please click on the following link to select your own human rights international contacts.  Please copy and send the sample letter or your own modified letter to them.

http://www.hrw.org/en/contact-us

EU citizens can send copies to their own MEPs using the following link to view MEP information and obtain contact links:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/groupAndCountry.do?language=en

Copy also to the EU Enlargement Commissioner at  http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/contact/commissioner/index_en.htm

Sirs;

I am disgusted about news being given to me now that once again, the Serbian government and authorities are attempting to undermine both human and animal rights in Serbia.

I talk about the situation of Mrs Rada Zivanovic at Loznica; who using entirely her own money and facilities; with NOTHING in the form of help from yourselves, is providing a shelter at her own home for stray cats.

Mrs Rada Zivanovic ensures that all her cats are sterilised and vaccinated – a policy which the ignorant authorities such as yourselves seem unable to do.  Where does all the money allocated for this actually go ? – into your pockets ?

Mrs Rada Zivanovic has now applied to have her home and cat sanctuary made into a public animal shelter.  You will fully support this and you provide funding to Mrs Rada Zivanovic to enable her to provide animal welfare where you very much fail.

You will not undermine the human rights of Mrs Rada Zivanovic; and you will not undermine animal rights for animals in her care.  The hell  hole for dogs which you call ‘Loznica shelter’ is a complete and utter disgrace.  As authorities and persons in office who should be respected for what you do, you are not respected by citizens across the world because you fail to do anything positive for animal welfare.

You are the ones that need to change, not Mrs Rada Zivanovic.

I am informing all my international contacts about your actions to destroy Mrs Rada Zivanovic, and that includes international human rights organisations.

Do not target Mrs Rada Zivanovic; instead provide her and her animals with the finances and shelter approval she requires.

And above all, you please learn from it.  Mrs Rada Zivanovic is an example of a good citizen; not a criminal.  Treat her with respect; not the abuse which you appear so keen on, especially where animals are concerned.

Yours,

Name:

Nationality

Uk (England): Concerns Over Prince Harry and His Polo Horse

England’s Prince Harry has come under fire for his treatment of a horse during a recent polo game.

Photos have appeared in British newspapers of Prince Harry riding a horse that is bleeding from its side, right where the prince’s spurs contact the horse.

Polo players are supposed to take themselves out of the game if their horse is injured. There is also a rule against excessive use of a player’s spurs. Harry has been called out by animal advocacy groups and is under investigation from polo authorities.

It is unclear whether the wound on the horse came from excessive use of Harry’s spurs or whether it was the result of a collision with another horse.

The most serious punishment the prince could possibly face — if he were found guilty of excessive spur use — would be a $75,000 fine, chump change to a man worth forty million dollars.

Polo is a game that is intrinsically cruel to horses. The question is not whether Harry violated polo rules by being too hard on his horse, but whether there is any way to play polo that isn’t cruel to the horses.

From our treatment of animals, it’s obvious humans have trouble empathizing with animals. They do not understand the cruelty of confining an animal in a zoo, killing an animal for food, or training it to do tricks. Additionally, the wealthy have been shown in studies to be less compassionate, less kind than working class people. Harry is a product of a wealthy human lifestyle that many times views the world as commodities to exploit.

It’s unsurprising to know Harry has already been the subject of criticism for his treatment of his polo horses this year. One of Harry’s horses collapsed and died of a heart attack after one of his games.

Training animals for sports is no different than training them in circuses. Putting animals through physical and mental stress for human entertainment is inherently cruel for the animals.

According to experts, it is unlikely that Harry will face disciplinary action related to this particular incident. So the best we as animal advocates can hope for is that people who see the images of that bloody horse, stop to think about the impact polo has on horses. 

And hopefully they realize that although polo might be considered classier and wealthier, it’s no different than other forms of animal entertainment such as rodeos and circuses. Animals do not exist for our entertainment anymore than they exist for our consumption.

http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/prince-harry-under-fire-for-polo-incident/

Spain: Bullfight / Fiesta News Update

International protest against bull festival ‘Toro de la Vega’

On 14 September 2010, another edition of a festival called ‘El Toro de la Vega’ will take place in the Spanish city of Tordesillas (Valladolid, Castilla y León). During this festival, a bull is stabbed to death with lances by hundreds of men on horse and on foot. This year, a bull called Platanito (‘little banana’) will be killed before its fifth birthday.

For the sixth time in a row, animal protection organizations PACMA and CAS International, with support of AnimaNaturalis organize a striking protest against this event on Sunday 12 September, in Tordesillas and Valladolid.

 

Read more…

Guggenheim platform against bullfighting

On Saturday 21 August 2010, CAS International and Spanish anti-bullfighting organizations AnimaNaturalis and Equanimal organized a striking protest against bullfighting, right in front of the Guggenheim Museum entrance in Bilbao (Spain).

About 125 activists, among which people from Madrid and Barcelona, were lying in front of the museum and formed the shape of a bull with their bodies. The activists were painted in black and red: black representing the colour of the bull and red symbolizing the blood that is spilled during bullfights.

 

Read more…

French politicians introduce bill against bullfighting

On July 13, 2010, politicians Muriel Marland-Militello (UMP) and Geneviève Gaillard (Socialists) introduced a bill in the Assemblée Nationale (‘Parliament’) proposing a ban on bullfighting in France.

Mrs. Marland-Militello already introduced a similar bill in 2004, but now she is officially supported by a colleague representing the Socialists. This is good news, since more Socialists are now going to vote for the abolition of bullfighting. 58 of the 577 representatives already officially support the bill.

 

Read more…

CAS International (Comité Anti Stierenvechten) is the biggest organization in the world which works exclusively on the abolition of bullfighting and cruel fiestas (festivals) during which bulls and other animals are tortured. Together with our colleague organizations, we want to end this animal abuse as soon as possible.

More information about CAS International.

 

 

Serbia: 9/9/10 – Expose on Veterinary Corruption Procedures – How They Can be Paid 2 or 3 Times for Doing Just ONE Job.

 

Slavica has sent a request to a Subotica veterinary station called ‘VETERINAR’ regarding the vaccination of some of the dogs and booster vaccinations of other dogs living at EPAR shelter.  This amounts to around 730 dogs in total.

In agreement with existing Serbian legislation, this vaccination treatment should be done free of charge to Slavica.  But the vet at ‘VETERINAR’ has written to Slavica and informed her that as far as he is concerned, she must pay herself for every dog at the shelter to be vaccinated.

So now Slavica has written back to the vet in question with the request that he comes and does the vaccinations; but in agreement with the law – which means free of any costs to herself.  If vets are not sent to the shelter to undertake the vaccinations, then Slavica is left with no choice but to send a formal charge to the Veterinary Inspector of Subotica, informing him that what is being asked here is illegal.

This will be supported by SAV who will be informing the EU of the situation. 

Slavica has fully documented proof obtained over recent years showing that the (vaccination) vets receive all the things necessary for them to undertake the vaccinations.  These vaccinations are not only for Rabies, but also other Zoonoses including Bluetongue, Newcastle disease, pig plague etc. 

The vets who undertake these vaccinations are supplied with all their needs and goods for FREE from any of 27 specialist veterinary institutes located around the country.  As with the vaccination of dogs, the vets supply a monthly bill for their work to the Agricultural ministry and they are paid.

But we know that many vets appear to be directly asking the farmers of animals who need vaccinations to pay them directly from their (farmers) pockets.  The vets declare that if they are not paid by the farmers, they will not do the vaccination job.  An essential requirement on a farm is to keep all animals vaccinated as necessary.

For dogs vaccination, as shown before in past SAV investigations with Serbian campaigners,

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/serbia-attempt-to-punish-serbian-ngo-animal-shelter-investigation-report-into-vaccination-procedures-uncovers-discrepancies/

We said:

“The current arrangement is that all the veterinary stations involved in this programme, being those which are located throughout Serbia, each send a monthly report to the National Veterinary Institute and the Veterinary Department of Serbia, detailing specifically how many doses of the (Nobivac Rabies) vaccine they have given in their individual national region (municipality) for that (1 month) period”. 

“As a result, once they have been supplied with the monthly information from the individual (municipal) regions, the Republic of Serbia (government) then finances (pays back) the individual regional / municipal  veterinary stations for undertaking their monthly vaccination work – ie. the administration of the dose of vaccine to animals by the vaccinator”. 

The vets are allowed to submit a monthly report or ‘bill’ to the Ministry informing of what vaccinations they have undertaken.  The costs declared on these veterinary reports must be paid to the vets from the republic budget which officially covers these costs.

In addition, the vets are also paid from the city budget.

But in the corrupt systems which operate so much in the world of Serbian ‘animal welfare’, which is anything but the welfare of animals as far as regional authorities are concerned, the vets are still, illegally informing Slavica that she must personally pay them (the vets) for all the vaccinations of the dogs at her shelter (EPAR Subotica).

If this were to happen; ie. Slavica pay the costs herself, and the vets were to then undertake vaccination of all the dogs (and take Slavica’s money), then they would also complete the report or bill paperwork necessary for them to also claim the same costs out of the republic budget. 

Basically, THEY WOULD in effect get DOUBLE THE MONEY for doing just one job – vaccinating dogs; money from Slavica and then money from the republic budget also !

Quite rightly, Slavica is refusing to pay the vets with her moneywhen the vaccinations should be done by the vets using money from the republic budget.  Ie. The vets are paid just once for doing a job once not paid twice for one job and illegally getting money out of people such as Slavica when the republic is really covering the costs.

All this leaves is for one to assume rightly that the vets are not happy with this system of one payment for one job, and instead they want to attempt to bend the system and get double, treble or even more money by demanding advance payment from citizens, including farmers, also for doing this very same job which comes directly from republic and municipal funding.

This is corruption by the vets as far as we are concerned.  They are being paid three or four times (for a vaccination of both dogs and also farm animals) by ‘bending the system’ for doing the job which is paid from the national and/or regional budget anyway.  On top of this, they are demanding monry directly from citizens owning animals or from farmers; or the vaccination is not done !!

Corruption ??

The EU is making big attempts to clean up and eliminate corruption in member states and accession states, which includes Serbia for the future.

The EU must be informed of this corruption by Serbian vets – and they will be.

 

 

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina: 08/09/10 – Puppy Killer Girl Update.

Our recent article post:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/uk-sav-attempts-to-help-uk-newspaper-find-sadistic-young-puppy-killer-captured-on-video/

UPDATE 08/09/10

The Bosnian puppy-thrower is being protected by an elderly woman who claims she saved the dogs from being swept to their death, villagers say.

Ruza Pavlovic, who lives in the village of Curcic Lug near the town of Bugojno, told the Jutarnji List newspaper she found the puppies two weeks ago and put them in her garage.

The puppies are apparently the same ones that appeared in a sickening 47-second video posted online, showing a hooded teenage girl throwing them into a river.

Photographs published on Monday show Pavlovic holding a litter of puppies in her arms — but the animals are brown and black while the ones in the video are black and white.

Freelance reporter Ljubica Vujadinovic, who has contacts within the Curcic Lug village, told ninemsn Ms Pavlovic was a neighbour of the teenage girl.

“The old lady is next door neighbour of the girl’s family … [my source said] they made a deal to make up that rescue story to ‘save’ the girl,” Vujadinovic said.

Vujadinovic said she found her source by calling bars and other villagers in the area until she found someone who would talk to her.

“[The girl] can hardly bear to live with the reactions and everyone believes Pavlovic made this up only to try to help the girl and her family,” the source was quoted as saying.

The man would only speak on the condition his identity was not revealed.

Vujadinovic said locals were protective of the girl and did not understand the media attention because they live in a region where stray cats and dogs are regularly killed.

“On many internet pages you find lot of comments like, ‘what is all that fuss about a few dogs?’,” Vujadinovic said.

Bosnian police have tracked down the girl in the video but it is not yet clear if she has been charged.

Under Bosnian law a person who kills or tortures animals is punishable with fines ranging from $6900 to $16,000.

Serbia: The Not So Public Subotica City ‘Public Competition’ For Animal Welfare – Update 31/08/10. Public Information Witheld From the Public to the Benefit of Organisations Who Currently Operate the City Stray Control Programs.

 

 

 

 

Subotica City ‘Public Competition’ Update – 31/08/10.

The corrupt and unlawful way of operating by the Subotica authorities has presented itself to us once again.

Regarding the ‘public competition’ which was going to be made open to all public organisations to tender for – in this particular case a competition for the operation (management) of animal shelters in the city (Subotica); it now appears that specific city authority personnel, possibly with a certain degree of self interest, have changed the system in relation to this ‘public tender’, so that only one organisation has been able to bid; and strangely, it is the very one that they could be directly associated with.

On 30/08/10, welfare campaigners in Subotica who wished to review the competition with a view to presenting a bid for the city animal management and control, were supplied with an e mail informing them of where the competition information was posted. 

This is always done on the Public competition link at www.subotica.rs  under the sub heading of  ‘Javne  nabavke’.  Even the most basic and simple public tenders are always published here.

This time the information relating to the animal shelter tender was NOT published on this site.  It appears to have been kept much more private; and one has to question the term ‘public’ when the information to tender is NOT made available to the public to be able to do same.

It would seem that Mrs Dulic Suzana, who is part of the city authority Communal Department, along with her manager, Mrs Matilda Seker, and her husband Vlada Dulic, who has major relations with the authorities of the public firm JKP Cistoca i zelenilo, Subotica; have not informed any of the public about this important tender for animal welfare through the usual routes on the city web site.

Instead, we know that ONLY JKP Cistoca i zelenilo, Subotica were informed about the bid tender process; they were the only applicant provided with the information necessary to submit a bid into this alleged ‘public’ competition.  Even as the only applicant of the information, we are now informed that JKP Cistoca has still not been able to put a full tender response together about shelter management.

Because of this, we have to ask if anyone in authority in Subotica really had any full depth knowledge about what exactly was required by a public organisation to run an animal shelter correctly.  As the knowledge was not made available through the normal public competition route; defining what the requirements would be of any competing public organisations, it can only be stated that this system once again shows that the authorities of Subotica city have not got a clue as to what is required and the standards necessary to operate an animal shelter correctly.

So instead, city authorities and personnel have corrupted the system to ensure that the basic tender / bid information is kept well away from the public, and instead the opportunity is provided only and once again for operators of the current system to continue operating as they always have done; ie. with very little regard for animals and their welfare, and very especially little regard for Serbian national legislation relating to animal welfare.

And so, on the 30/08, animal welfare organisations have been informed too late of this ‘public’ competition by the Subotica authorities, even though as a daily process throughout many weeks in advance of 30/08, animal welfare organisations have questioned Mrs Matilda Seker and Mrs Usumovic Davkik Marija as to when and where this public competition information will be published.  No responses were ever given to the questions asked.   As we are now fully aware, only one organisation (JKP Cistoca) appears to have been informed about the tender requirements; informed by whatever route was taken by the city authorities to ensure that only they (JKP Cistoca) knew about it.

The city authorities allegedly have fixed the bidding / tender system so that they can continue to use the companies which they have always used to undertake shelter and stray animal control.  There is no change in the corrupt system and the ‘public’ animal welfare organisations who really wished to become involved in the tender, to the benefit of animals and the city animal welfare policy have been kept well and truly out on the sidelines of this competition.  Sidelined enough to have not even been told that the tender information was published – but then why would they be told ? – the public tender information was only published through non-public routes !

This is unlawful and so this is why further action now has to be taken against the authorities of Subotica.  Your help is needed.

We ask, on behalf of Serbian animal welfare campaigners who originally wished to prepare a bid in this ‘public competition’, that non Serbian citizens contact their Serbian ambassadors directly and acting on (your) behalf, they (the ambassadors) subsequently write to the authorities of Subotica city to ask why the issue of ‘public competition’ for stray animal management in the city was kept secret from the public – the very people who should be able to tender for this animal shelter management position.

You can provide a copy of this post link directly to your ambassador, as we hope that the post contains enough information to brief the (your) ambassador and will allow them to follow up your request.

For any overseas (non Serbian) citizen, please use the following links to obtain your own embassy contacts in Serbia.

International embassies located within Serbia can be found at:

http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Serbia

http://www.offshorewave.com/embassies_show.php?location_id=183

For the moment; Subotica City Authorities Endure that the ‘Public’ are kept very much away from information associated with ‘Public Competitions’ – Especially where animal welfare is concerned.

India: ‘Raja’ – The Little Stray Who Was Adopted and Changed the World for his Adoptive Family – A Wonderful Story of Hope.

 

 

 

 

 

HUBLI: There are temples and temples — some for idols, and some for matinee idols in today’s hero-worshipping times.

But for a pet mongrel? Chandrashekharaia Kulkarni, 58, did just that — he built a temple for a dog who he believes had divine powers.

Today, it has turned into a religious spot in Ranebennur, in Haveri district.

Link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranebennur

In 1994, Kulkarni was running a small scale industry making paan masala sachets in a rented building. It was a loss-making unit, and Kulkarni planned to shut it down. One day, he saw a two-week old puppy straying onto the premises.

He tried to shoo it away, but the whining mongrel stuck around. Out of pity, Kulkarni decided to rear it.

As fate would have it, things began to change. His business blossomed, he bought his own building on five guntas of land in the industrial area. All this he attributed to the dog, believing he had brought him luck.

The puppy grew up to be a part of the family. Kulkarni named him Raja Narayanswami, and treated him as his child. The family took good care of Raja, who surprisingly, was a vegetarian. Towards the end of 2008, Raja died of a prolonged illness.

To keep Raja’s memory alive, the family decided to build a temple for him. With the support of the people and other pet lovers, Kulkarni built a temple and put up a portrait of Raja in 2009. He held a huge fair during Vijayadashmi. And ever since, people have been thronging the temple. His wife Kasturamma and children Manjaiah and Gayatri too believe the dog possessed divine powers.

Said Kulkarni, a law graduate, “Raja was like our son, not just a dog. Our fate changed after it came to our industry. It often protected our property from thieves. We believe it was a reincarnation of God.”

This year too, Kulkarni plans to hold a big fair and mass feeding during Vijayadashmi. “Now, we want to build a primary school after him, and are awaiting permission. The land is finalized. We have also placed an order for a silver statue of Raja, embedded with precious stones, to be installed in the temple,” he added.

Thanks and Regards
Santosh Rajashekar
CUPA

http://bloggers-bark.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-dog-has-its-day-and-temple-to-boot.html

SAV Comment

Unfortunately; no pictures at present to go with this post.  A photo of Raja and / or the temple would be great.

Can anyone help ?