Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Subject: Shelter Oaza – Extreme urgency

Dear friends,

The initiative ‘Respectons’, alerted by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, would like to direct your attention towards a tragic event in the shelter of Etela Merk, in Backa Topola, Serbia. In March 2011 the shelter was consumed by fire – Mrs. Merk sadly died in the blaze, as did a number of her animals.

The initiative Respectons was well familiar with this shelter, which, for some time, had done poorly. Respectons assisted with sterilisations, food, medical supplies and foreign adoptions.

Today the situation has deteriorated considerably, and the dogs must be rescued. Respectons, in cooperation with the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, is seeking a solution.

On April 1st 2011 27 cats have been taken into the custody of the Serb initiative Help Animals.

30 cats had died in the blaze and several of those had later been eaten by the dogs after the fire. There are between 280 and 300 dogs still on location now – they are not sterilised, and the Serb Republic is charged with finding a solution.

A small local initiative has taken 48 dogs to the shelter Kacha in Belgrade – this shelter would like to adopt these dogs out to France eventually. Every day several dogs die in the abandoned shelter of Backa Topola. The dogs are on their own some 22 hours a day; this leads to fighting resulting in injuries or animals being killed. At the same time people take new dogs to the shelter – it is unlocked and therefore open to anybody – all the time, keeping the number of animals at a stable high. It is anarchy.

The buildings are burnt-down, food is distributed all over the place – it looks like a dump. The amount of food, though, seems to be sufficient due to the help from France.

One person, being paid by French donations, brings food every day using his half-starved horse. There is no road to the shelter – it can only be reached on foot or by horse, as the land is very uneven.

This situation of complete anarchy cannot be allowed to continue. Indeed the owner of the shelter and Land on which it stands would like to sell the property. The plan of the shelter Oaza in Serbia, which is being supported by Respectons and the Brigitte Bardot Foundations, is to take on 30 of those dogs from Backa Topola in the near future and shelter them in “Park no 12” (???).

If there were a means to fence in more land it would be possible to house another 70 dogs, which would bring the number of rescued dogs to 100.

The only solution would be to distribute the remaining dogs between Germany, Belgium and France and close down Backa Topola – which never has functioned properly in the first place. It is not possible to continue to run this shelter because of its location, the lack of proper access and of competent personnel.

Mr. Pizurica, head of the veterinary authority of Vojvodina, who was contacted by our vet Mr. Strecko Radojic, has confirmed that the county of Vojvodina cannot take over the administration and running of the shelter due to shortage of funds – there is not even sufficient money for sterilisations. Only 30 dogs, of the several hundred residing in the shelter, are actually sterilised.

He and his team stand ready to assist with a possible transfer of the dogs abroad and will draw up the necessary paperwork for the first 40 dogs as well as all following. He will do the necessary rabies vaccination and microchipping, and he hopes that the shelter can be emptied as soon as possible. Patrick Sacco will also be on location next week to help with the next transfer.

There are currently 27 dogs in „Park no 12“, who will be distributed to other parks of the shelter. After that 40 dogs can be transferred from Backa Topola. The transfers will be arranged in groups of approx. 40 dogs – depending on successful adoptions abroad.

Note – SAV have NO access to this map referenced:

See map of the shelter in attachment

Whole area (blue zone)

150 meters of wire mesh (70 meters already existing) (A)

1 flight of stairs to be built of concrete (flank of a hill) (C)

1 Portal (C) to be installed

1 cover for well (B)

—————-

9500 €

Sight protection from road (A) to be installed over wire mesh

—————-

1200 €

10 niches (Kennels??) (D)

2.20m by 1 m with 3 doors (6 dogs) – for 60 dogs

—————-

3500 €

Ditch and canalisation for fresh water coming in and waste water going out

—————-

500 €

1 mast with electric cable for lighting

(not urgent)

—————-

Total = 14700 €

Also taken into consideration must be the rising amount of food needed (+100 dogs) as well as the wages of employees. Raise 3 wages of currently EUR 330.-  by EUR 50.- or take on an additional employee?

The search for homes in Germany, Belgium and France has begun now. It is important to note that every adopted dog needs a European pet passport, a serological test done and needs to undergo sanitary examination. This will amount to approx. EUR 120.- per dog (adoption fee?).

The initiative Respectons asks you for your assistance with this rescue effort.

Patrick Sacco travels to Serbia next week to start organisation and coordination of the work. We count on you and thank you in advance for every help you are able to render.

Direct donations to Respectons can be made via the following link to aid with their current on-going work at Backa Topola:

For those who want to send money to help the dogs saved from the fire in Serbia, please find attached a file with the bank references.

RIP-Respectons

Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
 
Régine

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Past SAV links associated with this issue:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/serbia-latest-photos-from-backa-topola-all-animals-are-safe-and-being-cared-for-but-they-need-to-be-found-permanenet-homes-in-mainland-europe-the-government-is-doing-nothing-to-help-previou/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/serbia-backa-topola-donations-can-be-made-directly-to-the-french-organisation-respectons-who-are-working-at-the-facility-donation-links-provided-in-the-following-post/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/serbia-backa-topola-new-donation-link-to-help-the-dogs-at-the-shelter/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/serbia-010411-further-backa-topola-update-from-zlata-at-help-animals/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/serbia-help-animals-belgrade-can-you-help-them/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/serbia-backa-topola-rescue-stray-dog-and-cat-shelter-owner-killed-by-fire-because-she-could-not-pay-for-electricity-and-most-probably-non-implementation-of-existing-animal-welfare-laws-by-reg/

Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

FOR the CATS

THERE IS NO SAV BANK ACCOUNT INTO WHICH DONATIONS CAN BE GIVEN. 

AS WE ARE BASED IN ENGLAND, UK, BANK CHARGES (COSTS) FOR INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OFTEN OUTWEIGH THE AMOUNT OF THE DONATION IN THE FIRST PLACE.  We always request that any international donations to be given directly to animal groups in Serbia to avoid these extra transfer costs.

The only info we have is from ‘Help Animals’ in Belgrade, who have taken all but one of the surviving cats from the shelter.  Attempts are being made to find the last cat.

If anyone wishes to provide a donation to ‘Help Animals’, which is for the care of the cats they now have from the shelter, then please use the following link for further details:

http://www.helpanimals.org.rs/index.php/action/index/eng/15/How_to_Help_-_Donation

The ‘Help Animals’ site can be viewed at: http://www.helpanimals.org.rs/index.php/action/index/eng/19/Home

FOR the DOGS

LATEST ** – 2310hrs GMT 01/04/11:

We hope that a good donation route for the Backa Topola dogs has now been set up.

This is via a ‘Western Union’ transfer system, the details which follow.

The money will go direct to SENKA MANDIC.

A Money Transfer Control Number [MTCN] will be provided (by Western Union) to the individual donating when they do a money transfer to Serbia.  Senka will need to quote this number when she goes to collect the donation in Serbia.

Senka can be e mailed at the following address to inform her of any money transfers.

Please keep the information and your mail short and simple.  Remember that Senka needs only a few basic facts – the amount being sent and the MTCN.  English is NOT Senka’s native language, so only give the basic required information please.

Please include the MTCN in your e mail to Senka so that she knows to quote the details of the specific number when the money is collected by her.   She will provide her identity proof as well as the number (MTCN) when she goes to collect.

Senka e mail address –    peda2@stcable.net

Western Union details in Serbia for any transfer are: 

 POSTA SRBIJE

Marsala Tita 42
Backa Topola, 24300

+381-11-3334999

WU AGENT

Translated correspondence:

We are already paying one man that is going there, but that is not enough we need someone else as to feed the dogs, give water and to clean all the waste in the shelter and that is a lot of work. I spend there 4 hours every day, and in that time I can achieve very little. If I did not experience this myself I would not believe it.

Municipality gave us 2 man from Kongrad but only for a period of one month. This will be over in a few days. We have to find someone else. This Sunday we will be spending all day in the shelter and someone who is interested in a job will come to met us.

We finance most of this from private pockets we can not get hold of any donations from those accounts at all.

Pictures of the dogs at the shelter are as follows:

Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

For site SAV

__________________

Dear Madams and Sirs,

Our organisation for the protection of animals owes a shelter for abandoned dogs and cats; being active in all areas of animal protection and knowing the situation in Serbia in all aspects and levels perfectly, we are giving our opinion on the shelter „Backa Topola“.

First of all we would like to inform you that we have taken all cats from the shelter „Backa Topola“, except a white male cat who opened the transporter and escaped. All those cats are de-wormed and protected from all kinds of  parasites, and three of them were let sterilised. We made arrangements for the sterilisation of all other cats and it is going to be organised in the next 10-15 days.  We have done all those things without expecting any help, and if somebody helps, we are going to appreciate it. The cats are put into two shelters: “Jessica” in Belgrade and „Felix“ in Voivodina. Cats are going to be fine there for sure. It is 27 cats all together. We are not able to take over dogs, because we have 240 dogs in our shelter.

Europe and Serbia are overwhelmed by appeals to help dogs in „Backa Topola“. None of the NGO did not take the responsibility for organising the rescuing of dogs in the shelter „Backa Topola“ officially, but all of them are asking for help. Mrs Christine Paskaljevic took 48 dogs,for now, and put them to her shelter, and she is going to let them sterilised and let adopted. She works together with a French organisation for the protection of animals that is financing all Mrs Christine Paskaljevic’s actions, but nothing is official and we do not know anything about the destiny of those dogs.

In our estimates, on the spot from 31.March 2011, there are about 300 dogs. They are fed in the morning, and we hope that they are given some water, but they are left alone for the rest of the day. Every time when somebody visits the shelter, there are some dead dogs.  

We have the information that the City of Backa Topola in the cooperation with the Veterinary Directorate of the Republic of Serbia made arrangements for the next week, to mark (chip) the dogs and vaccinate them against rabies starting on the 5th April 2011. The next step is going to be organising of the castration action for dogs. Veterinary inspectors are going to observe it.  

The point is that the destiny of dogs and the shelter in which they live is unknown and that there is no central body like a crisis center that would make an agenda.

We, Help Animals, think that the only real rescuing of those dogs would be a massive adoption abroad, and after that action, the shelter „Backa Topola“ would have no residents any more. It should not be a problem for EU countries to organise the transport and enough vehicles in a short period, to come and take all dogs.  

A lot of Serbian’s dogs already come to EU countries every week and Serbian organisations for the protection of animals get money for those dogs. The dogs from „Backa Topola“ would come for free and it would be a real humanitarian action. Every other plan would mean the sending of huge donations that dogs are not going even to „feel“.

There was a tragic situation in the shelter „Backa Topola“ during the last 1-2 years  and the shelter should have been closed.

Unfortunately, as far as we know, the help is usually offered in situations when dogs and cats are already losing their lives.

There is no preventive help, and in 90% of cases the help is sent to wrong addresses.

Sincerely

Help Animals
Zlata Korjenic
www.helpanimals.org.rs

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE RESCUE BEFORE THE CATS WERE TAKEN TO THE JESSICA AND FELIX SHELTERS:

SECTION STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION – more to come soon !

Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »