Dear all;
Your personal help is urgently required regarding the stray dog situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The following summary is based on a letter to be found at the end of this post, which we will be asking you to copy and send. Full contact details are provided following the sample letter. This same letter has been produced by a consortium of welfare campaigners who all fully agree with its content.
There is overwhelming evidence now being presented to a global audience that local authorities within B&H are both tolerating and authorising the illegal activities of continuous or periodical mass killing of Bosnian stray animals.
According to reports, hundreds of dogs in Brcko District (BD), which include both owned and registered animals, have been caught and imprisoned, facing sentence of death, under very harsh conditions in an old, abandoned wood factory within the nearby village of Rahic. Legitimate animal welfare organisations are being denied access to further their investigations into these same atrocities.
Mr. Sontheim and Mr. Gregorian, both very senior officials of the International UN / OHR in this BD region of B & H, who have legal authorities to intervene and responsibility to stop illegal activity brought to their attention, should take immediate action to stop this.
Both appear to be doing very little, despite repeated appeals. Mr. Sontheim, who is resident in Brcko and whom has primary responsibility for oversight, is tolerating the current BD Government illegal mass killing activities which are obviously moving away from the previously established No-kill/sterilization-programmes which were being advocated and undertaken by local NGO.
Why do the OHR in B & H appear to support the killing of stray animals rather than the globally proven and effective population controls shown by the sterilization of dogs and cats?
In Brcko District alone during the past few months, local authorities themselves have stated on TV that 1000 dogs were killed in facilities in Rahic and their carcasses were inappropriately buried in one metre deep holes in Brezovo Polje and other surrounding areas of Rahic.
Such irresponsible acts by the local authorities have already caused many public protests by concerned citizens; and yet despite this, the OHR and Brcko District Government are doing nothing.
Municipalities in B&H are spending money year after year to kill dogs without actually solving the problem. It would be far more effective to use this money to promote sterilization and responsible dog ownership.
A number of regional animal welfare NGO have undertaken important and persistent work on the problem of stray animal population reduction for several years now. Their efforts supporting a humane (No kill) approach and the already established No kill dog shelter, should be an example shown to the whole of Bosnia.
In Brcko, a model no kill shelter combined with a proposed policy of promoting sterilization at public expense, complete with registration of all owned dogs using microchipping and a database on all pets, and an education program to promote responsible dog ownership were begun in 2005.
Two photographs of the promotional boarding used for this public awareness program can be seen below.
The attitude of continually rounding up and killing off all stray animals has never, and will never, result in an animal population decline.
In the process, the cruelty, pain and violence debase the humans doing it.
Please refer to the following links which relate to NGO society ARKA in Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina:-
The ARKA web site can be viewed directly by visiting http://www.arka.org.ba/ – make language selection via flag options shown on left hand side.
The Excellent ARKA No Kill shelter in Brcko District –
Subject of Many Points raised in the Formal Letter Sent by ARKA
Due to very little recent progress on several animal welfare issues within Brcko District (BD), formal letters for the immediate attention of Mr. Raffi Gregorian, Supervisor for BD, were submitted by ARKA during December 2008. A copy of the letter can be viewed below.
It is widely considered that the BD government aimed to reduce the
funding which should have been allocated to ARKA for stray dog control in an attempt to completely disable their (ARKA) work, which would have subsequently resulted in the cancellation of ARKA’s authorisations or grants for which they were legally authorised.
ARKA have continued to operate despite these attempts to shut down their work. During 2007, it resulted in ARKA staff having to use their own vehicles for the catching and transportation of stray dogs to both Bazil shelter and to veterinary stations when necessary. In early 2008, it was found that BD government had made no provisions within the budget for the funding of stray dog controls.
ARKA were subsequently told to fire all of their remaining staff, which they point blankly refused to do.
This has been viewed as an indirect way of the BD government taking over the control and management of the excellent Bazil shelter and the daily tasks which ARKA were legally allowed and approved to be able to do.
Attempts were even made to brake the legal contract that ARKA had for the use of McGovern (ex military base) on which Bazil is located. The BD government has during the past year attempted to prevent the humane ARKA population control policies for stray dog numbers, and instead under their (BD government) direction and management, revert back to the old policy of undertaking mass killings of dogs in Bazil.
Finally, and to complete the information process, ARKA have also written to the United States Ambassador Mr.Charles English, based in Sarajevo, regarding their letter to Mr. Gregorian and the problems that NGO ARKA are currently experiencing within Brcko District.
*** SAMPLE LETTER ****** SAMPLE LETTER ***
The following is the letter which can be copied and sent to recipients given at the end.
Sir / Madam,
There is overwhelming evidence now being presented to a global audience that local authorities within Bosania and Hertzegovina (B & H) are both tolerating and authorising the illegal activities of continuous or periodical mass killing of Bosnian stray animals. According to reports, hundreds of dogs in Brcko District (BD), which include both owned and registered animals, have been caught and imprisoned, facing sentence of death, under very harsh conditions in an old, abandoned wood factory within the nearby village of Rahic. Legitimate animal welfare organisations are being denied access to further their investigations into these same atrocities. I understand also that killings are being performed regularly in Sarajevo. This is completely unacceptable to any civilized society.
Both Mr. Sontheim and Mr. Gregorian, as officials of the International UN / OHR in this BD region of B & H, with legal authorities to intervene and responsibility to stop illegal activity brought to their attention, should take action to stop this. Both appear to be doing very little, despite repeated appeals. Mr. Sontheim, who is resident in Brcko and whom has primary responsibility for oversight, is tolerating the current BD Government illegal mass killing activities which are obviously moving away from the previously established No-kill/sterilization-programmes which were being advocated and undertaken by local NGO.
Recent requests to Mr. Sontheim by animal welfare organisations in the region and concerned EU citizens, to act on these very same animal atrocities at Rahic, have been met with the following response:
“Please spare me of your e-mails I have not invited you to communicate with me and you have no authority to use it”. Gerhard Sontheim.
As a responsible EU citizen and a person wishing to see the humane treatment of all animals by human beings, I find the response given by Mr. Sontheim to be both inappropriate and offensive. As an official of a nation which is supporting and controlling the work of the OHR within B & H, effectively funded by citizens such as myself, I am asking you please to investigate the following on my behalf:
Why do the OHR in B & H appear to support the killing of stray animals rather than the globally proven and effective population controls shown by the sterilization of dogs and cats?
Can you please investigate and inform me how the animals in Rahic are killed?, and by whom?
What official records are being kept for same?
Are you personally aware that in Brcko District as well as in all municipalities within B & H there are currently a lack of both the legal facilities, infrastructure and the trained staff to catch and keep stray animals ? In Brcko District alone during the past few months, local authorities themselves have stated on TV that 1000 dogs were killed in facilities in Rahic and their carcasses were inappropriately buried in one metre deep holes in Brezovo Polje and other surrounding areas of Rahic. Such irresponsible acts by the local authorities have already caused many public protests by concerned citizens; and yet despite this, the OHR and Brcko District Government are doing nothing.
Municipalities in B&H are spending money year after year to kill dogs without actually solving the problem. It would be far more effective to use this money to promote sterilization and responsible dog ownership. The Humane Society United States (HSUS) has produced informative leaflets providing numerical data of (effectively stray and/or roaming) offspring animals which are produced over several years by just one pair of non-sterilized animals; these figures can be seen in the attachments provided.
Please declare if you would agree that it is human behavior that has to change in order to address the problem of unwanted stray dog and cat populations?
Are any efforts being undertaken to encourage responsible dog ownership that controls and prevents unwanted reproduction?
A number of regional animal welfare NGO have undertaken important and persistent work on the problem of stray animal population reduction for several years now. Their efforts supporting a humane (No kill) approach and the already established No kill dog shelter, should be an example shown to the whole of Bosnia.
In Brcko, a model no kill shelter (please refer to photograph attached) combined with a proposed policy of promoting sterilization at public expense, complete with registration of all owned dogs using microchipping and a database on all pets, and an education program to promote responsible dog ownership were begun in 2005. Two photographs of the promotional boarding used for this public awareness program are also attached for your reference.
The attitude of continually rounding up and killing off all stray animals has never, and will never, result in an animal population decline.
In the process, the cruelty, pain and violence debase the humans doing it.
I ask you please to take action on my behalf and show the opposition to the current OHR support for killing stray animals within B & H, especially in Brcko District..
I look forward very much to your response.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Yours Sincerely
Nationality:
photographs of the promotional boarding used for this public awareness program
Contact List: Contact List: Contact List:
German Embassies Worldwide; http://www.germanembassy.co.uk/
All Embassies Worldwide: http://www.embassyworld.com/
American Ambassador, Charles English, at the US Embassy in Sarajevo
EnglishCL@state.gov ; bhopa@state.gov ; consularservicesba@state.gov ; bhinfo@state.gov
Press/TV/ radio
Brcanske Novine : urednik@brcanskenovine.com : info@brcanskenovine.com
HIT TV : Phone/fax : +387 49 217461 marketing@rtvhit.com ( very important local TV station )!!!
Nezavisne Novine: desk@nezavisne.com fax: +387 51 331 810
Radio Brcko :
+387 49 215 341 redakcija-rb@teol.net and +387 49 219 179
BN TV : redakcija@rtvbn.com phone: +387 55 228 422
urednik@rtvbn.com Phone: +387 55 228 400
SRPSKA – RTV Phone&fax +387 49 217196 itc.brcko@rtrs.tv
DNEVNI AVAZ : + 397 49 215 648
Peace Implementing Council – PIC
PIC is in the way controlling work of the OHR and the Embassies which are listed below are in this PIC.
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
275-000 tel
652-978 or 443 176 (fax)
France
668-149/668-151 tel
668-103/212-185 fax
Italy
203 960/203 961 or 218-022 (tel)
659-368 (fax)
Netherlands
223-404
223-413 (fax)
UK
445-429
666-131 (fax)
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