The latest news is that campaigners are still waiting for the official police report.
It is known that VU Veterina Belgrade took the dogs body after the incident; and that an autopsy was undertaken.
Contrary to first reports, it turns out that the dog was NOT a stray, but instead did have a microchip which will allow the owner to be traced.
The registration number and vehicle type are also very clear from the photograph as you can see below, so there are no excuses in any of the areas to allow the police to complete their work and produce a report of the incident, including news of what action will be taken against the driver of the car.
As things are on going, we will not currently release e mails of contacts as we said we would if there was no response from the authorities by 30/9. But unless an official police report is completed and made visible to all soon we will have no hesitation in releasing the e mail addresses of all police and authorities involved.
Posted on September 30, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment – At last; something many people and the judiciary have been calling for over many years. We too very much welcome the new legislation, and we thank Mr Gove for once again, like the issue of live exports, finally have a Minister at Defra who takes animal welfare seriously. We know that many welfare orientated judges who have been frustrated on this issue in the past by not being able to hand down tougher penalties to offenders will also welcome being able to have tougher sentencing legislation at their fingertips.
Animal cruelty sentences to rise to five years in prison
People in England who commit the most serious crimes of animal cruelty could face up to five years in prison, the government has said.
The move – an increase on the current six-month maximum sentence – follows a number of cases where English courts wanted to hand down tougher sentences.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said it would target “those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals”.
Above – Minister Gove with canine friend.
The RSPCA said it would “deter people from abusing and neglecting animals”.
Worst cases
Under the government’s plans, courts will retain the ability to hand out an unlimited fine and ban an offender from owning animals in the future.
However, they would now also have the ability to sentence the worst cases more harshly.
The new legislation will also enable courts to deal more effectively with ruthless gangs involved in organised dog fights, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
The plans will only apply in England, as animal cruelty powers are devolved to the nations of the UK.
The maximum sentence for offenders in Wales is six months in prison, while the maximum sentence in Scotland is 12 months.
The move will bring maximum sentences for animal cruelty in England into line with Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Australia, and Canada.
It comes as judges and magistrates in some English courts have complained they wanted to hand down tougher sentences to those guilty of abusing animals.
‘Positively received’
“These plans will give courts the tools they have requested to deal with the most abhorrent acts,” Mr Gove said.
“We are a nation of animal lovers and so we must ensure that those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals face suitably tough punishments.”
David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, welcomed the move.
He said: “The strength of feeling behind a move to toughen up these sentences is huge.
“At the moment the courts are limited by the law under which the strongest sentence for animal cruelty is six months’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine – but this rarely happens.”
Defra said about 1,150 people per year are convicted for animal cruelty – but fewer than five receive the current maximum sentence.
Claire Horton, chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, added the change will be “very positively received by the public”.
The government is expected to publish draft legislation for consultation at the end of the year.
Posted on September 29, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
During the election period in Germany, I had the opportunity to talk with the Left Party of Germany. Very fleeting and only in the context of the advertising of their election program. Although this party, in its overwhelming majority, no longer consists of strict Marxists, it still differs from the other parties in its efforts to defend the weak of this society. While today’s left have little to do with the traditional Marxists, they are, by far, the sharpest critics of modern capitalist society, which operates according to the principle of exploiters (economic oligarchs) and the exploited (wage-dependent).
They gave me an offer to become a member. I made them a counter-offer: to expand their political struggle for better human rights with the struggle for animal rights. It should be clear to them that in the history of class struggles, the ruling classes have exploited and suppressed not only the weak classes, but also the animals (and nature). I mean: The idea of animal liberation today is the consistent continuation of the human rights movement, and the leftists are inconsistent when they refuse to acknowledge that the liberation of animals today must belong to anticapitalistic politics.
Until now, however, all parties (including the left) regard the animals as material bearers of value and only as a means of production of the capital, which are even delivered free by nature. Because animals cannot defend themselves, they are placed as freely available means of production; they are used as working means (as machines for the production of eggs, milk, meat, etc.) and work items (leather, meat for further processing, etc.)
From a purely political standpoint, meat production is the number one cause of world hunger. 80% of starving children live in countries where cereals are produced in large quantities. But these children remain hungry and even dying of hunger because the capitalist world feeds the farm animals with the grain. Hunger is not a natural problem, it is a political one.
Exactly this political aspect should lead the left to the consideration that the exploitation of the animals today is not only unnecessary, but irrational and anti-progressive. It causes an enormous consumption of water and plants, which are not used for the meaningful purpose of the food of humans, but are used for the production of meat, milk and eggs in the western world.
Whoever believes that meat production is one of the achievements of modern class society ignores an important political aspect and cooperates with the lobby groups of the capital. Therefore, the struggle against the rule of capital is the necessary prerequisite for people to be able at all to collectively take the political decision: We are for the rights of animals, we want the liberation of animals.
If we take seriously the ideology of Marxism we should recognize one thing: the oppressed, exploited classes and the animals have a common enemy who is responsible for their exploitation, profiting from it and organizing their oppression: the ruling class.
“The ruling morality is the morality of the ruling class,” comrade Marx had said. As far as human beings are concerned, this is true, because the means of production are still in the hands of the economic oligarchy. But as far as the animals are concerned, it applies: “the ruling morality is the morality of the ruling species.” Because there is a “class” which still lives in chains. The proletarians of this planet, the animals.
Posted on September 28, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
There is a lot of information and petitions here; so size and quality has not been standardised. Please select and sign / support whatever you wish – Thanks – SAV.
Atomkraftwerke bremsen die Energiewende aus. Wenn in Deutschland Windräder stillstehen, liegt das immer häufiger nicht an der Wetterlage, sondern weil der Atomstrom das Netz verstopft. In Norddeutschland wurde deshalb der Ausbau der Windkraft an Land sogar weitgehend gestoppt. Stattdessen sollen alte Atomreaktoren noch bis 2022 weiterlaufen – trotz des Sicherheitsrisikos. Gegen den Willen der Bevölkerung.
Deshalb fordere ich: AKW jetzt vom Netz, damit der Ausbau der Erneuerbaren Energien vorangehen kann! Online-Petition:
URGENT: Tell Iran to quash Mohammad Ali Taheri’s death sentence A court in Iran has sentenced Mohammad Ali Taheri to death for the second time. He was convicted of “spreading corruption on earth” for establishing a spiritual group, Erfan-e Halgheh. Mohammad has already been held in solitary confinement for over six years.
Die IngDiBa hat auch dieses Jahr wieder ein Voting für Vereine mit 1000€ Prämie. Der kommende Winter steht bevor und wir würden uns so sehr über Eure Stimme freuen. Heizmaterial muss gekauft werden, die Futterreserven sind aufgebraucht.
Hier ist der Link für das Voting, Daten werden nicht gespeichert oder abgegriffen.
Mal als Info, wie das so mit der Beurteilung der Schäden durch Nutrias gehandhabt wird.
Zitate aus dem Buch von Daniel Scheide über die Nutrias
Zitat”…Genaue Daten und Zahlen über Schäden an der Landwirtschaft und an Deichen, Ufern und Dämmen liegen jedoch nur sehr spärlich und vereinzelt vor. Dennoch geben die meisten Autoren zumindest pauschal an, dass die Nutria Schäden verursacht, nennen dafür auch Bespiele, können diese jedoch meist nicht mit konkreten Zahlen belegen (DVWK 1997; NIEWOLD & LAMMERTSMA 2000; KINZELBACH 2001; SCHMIDT 2001; DEUTZ 2001; BROWN 2002; BAROCH & HAFNER 2002; ATKINSON 2005; JOJOLA ET AL. 2005; BAKER 2006; XU ET AL. 2006; PANZACCHI ET AL. 2007; SHEFFELS & SYTSMA 2007; STUBBE ET AL. 2009; WATERKEYN ET AL. 2010; JOHANSHON 2011; MARINI ET AL. 2011; WALTHER ET AL. 2011; STADT PFORZHEIM AMT FÜR UMWELTSCHUTZ 2011; BERTOLINO ET AL. 2012) …
Zitat >>….Denn häufig werden mögliche Nutriaschäden pauschalisiert.
Die Schäden sollten genauestens untersucht und belegt werden, sodass abgewogen werden kann, ob sich effektive Kontrollmaßnahmen überhaupt lohnen. … ” Zitat Ende <<
Aus Daniel Scheide Ökologie,Verbreitung, Schäden und Management von “Myocastor coypus” in Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich (2012) Universität Trier�Fachbereich Geographie/Geowissenschaften Angewandte Biogeographie
Aus eigner mehrjähriger Erfahrung kann ich diese Aussagen leider nur unterstreichen, Nutrias werden in der Regel immer pauschal für Schäden verantwortlich gemacht und es passiert auch, das Schädigungen ” erfunden ” werden. Ebenso, daß sie auch bereits in der Vergangenheit ” rein prophylaktisch” getötet wurden .
Frage der Woche
Wenn es zu einer Jamaika-Koalition kommt, wer soll dann den Landwirtschaftsminister stellen?
From: <tklaic@gmx.de> Date: 2017-09-21 17:01 GMT+02:00 Subject: Fw: Fwd: psi u romskim naseljima Međimurja (unten Originalmail oben deutscher Text) Es folgen dann die Protestmails, aber das muss ich erst zusammenfassen.
Auf den Bilder sind einige der Hunde die Anfang September aufgenommen sind, einige können gar nicht aufstehen.
Unten die Originalmail der Vorsitzenden des TSCHV in Cakovec Frau Hampamer, die ich in Kurzem im Deutsch zusammenfasse:
Es sind zwei Jahre vergangen seit das Bild auf welchem Kinder einen Welpen zum Tode verprügelten durch die Welt reiste.
Alle wurden dann wach; die Medien, Ministerium der Agrarwirtschaft, lokale Behörden. Wir sind die die Roma Siedlungen gegangen und haben schreckliche Bilder gesehen, insgesamt 2000 kranke, verletzte, von Räude verseuchte Hunde; wir haben 350 rausgeholt mit Hilfe der anderen TSCHVerein und privaten Personen.
Und dann ist alles wieder auf dem Alten geblieben, Politik, Behörden, Ministerium. Viele Sitzungen wurden abgehalten mit dem Schluss dass lokale Gemeinschaften die Kosten der Kastrationen, Impfungen etc. nicht tragen konnten.
Das Ministerium hat angeboten die Mittel für die Tollwutimpfung und Chip bereitzustellen unter Bedingung dass die lokale Gemeinschaften die Kastrationen der Hunde in Zigeunersiedlungen finanzieren was sie nicht tun konnten.
Das Tierheim Prijatelji (gehört dem Verein) hat meisten Hunde versorgt und tut es immer noch, weil kranke Hunde, Hunde mit Räude, Hündinnen mit Babies oder trächtige Hündinnen am Rande der Stadt zurückgelassen werden, voll Parasiten, Demodex, Räude. Der Zahl dieser Hunde ist in drei Jahren um 300% gestiegen, da die versprochenen Kastrationen ausgeblieben sind, es sind momentan 600 Hunde pro Jahr die in unser Tierheim kommen.
Nach dem wir seitens des Vertreters der Romasiedlung PARAG Herrn Matjas Orsus gerufen waren in die Siedlung zu kommen, haben wir 20 Hunde die am dringendsten zu versorgen waren dort rausgeholt; sie waren im letzten Stadium der Räude erkrankt, voller Wunden mit gebrochenen Füßen. In der Siedlung sind noch ca. 70 Hunde geblieben die dringend tierärztliche Versorgung brauchen.
Wir brauchen finanzielle Mittel für den Kauf von Tabletten gegen inneren und äußeren Parasiten die wir dann selbst den Hunden in der Siedlung verabreichen werden (nextgard, simparica, bravecto, advocate spot on) in Abstand von 3 wochen zweimal, abe das ist nur fuer die Hunde in dieser einen Siedlung da wir nicht in der Lage sind Tabletten fuer alle Hunde zu kaufen.
User Tierheim das nur 30% der Mitteln von lokale Gemeinde bekommt sollte ein Problem lösen (Problem der Zigeunerhunde) welches eigentlich auf der Staatsebene zu bewältigen ist; DESHALB BITTEN WIR DIE OEFFENTLICHKEIT UEBER DIESES PROBLEM LAUT ZU REDEN DENN ES GEHT UM DIE TIERE DIE DORT EINEM LANGSAMEN SCHRECKLICKEN STERBEN UND GRAUSAMEN QUALLEN UEBERLASSEN WERDEN.
Wieder sprechen wir von etwa 200 Hunde in 12 Zigeunersiedlungen die auf das schrecklichste misshandelt werden (haben auch Kinder berichtet), Hundekämpfe werden organisiert, Hunde werden gefoltert, so werden auch den dortigen Kindern diese Praktiken beigebracht.
Wer helfen möchte:
IBAN: HR3323400091116025375, ZEU Prijatelji životinja i prirode, Čakovec
swift: PBZGHR2X, Privredna banka d.d. Čakovec
die Abkürzung ZEU bedeutet dass es sich um Schutz- und Eko Verein handelt.
ZEU “Prijatelji životinja i prirode”, Čakovec Privredna banka d.d. Zagreb HR3323400091116025375 model 02, poziv na broj 888, svrha uplate: donacija. (za uplate iz inozemstva – SWIFT: PBZGHR2X)
Od sada donaciju našem azilu možete uplatiti i putem Paypala: info@prijatelji-zivotinja.org
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ORIGINALMAIL
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 20. September 2017 um 19:54 Uhr Von: “Aleksandra Hampamer” <aleksandra.hampamer@gmail.com> An: tklaic@gmx.de Betreff: Fwd: psi u romskim naseljima Međimurja
Prošlo je gotovo dvije godine od video snimke koja je obišla svijet – u kojoj djeca muče i na smrt prebijaju malo štene u romskom naselju Pribislavec.
Digli su se tad na noge svi mediji, sve udruge, cijela lokalna zajednica i Ministarstvo poljoprivrede.
Išli smo u naselja i suočili se sa stravičnim prizorima – ranjenim, šugavim, gladnim i bolesnim psima, njih nekoliko stotina u jednom naselju, a ukupno njih 2000.
Uz pomoć građana i velikog broja udruga za zaštitu životinja iz cijele Hrvatske u naredna dva mjeseca izvukli smo iz naselja njih 350 najkritičnijih. I tada je sve stalo – zakazali su oni koji su po Zakonu o zaštiti životinja jedini nadležni za ničije pse na ulicama pa i u romskim naseljima, zakazala je politika i ovlaštene službe.
Održano je mnogo sastanaka i svaki od sastanaka završio je s jedinim zaključkom koji je glasio da lokalna zajednica ne može podnijeti trošak zbrinjavanja, liječenja, mikročipiranja, cijepljenja protiv bjesnoće i kastracije tih pasa.
Ministarstvo poljoprivrede ponudilo je osigurati dio sredstava za mikročipiranje i cijepljenje protiv bjesnoće, ali uz uvjet da gradovi i općine na čijem području jesu romska naselja osiguraju sredstva za kastraciju. Mnogim općinama ta potrebna sredstva čine velik dio njihovog proračuna i nisu ih u mogućnosti osigurati.
Sklonište za životinje Prijatelji zbrinulo je najveći broj tih pasa i zbrinjava ih čitavo vrijeme jer štenci i skotne kujice sve češće završe na rubnim dijelovima grada – svi odreda teško bolesni, puni parazita, šuge, demodexa. Oporavak traje dugo, a troškovi su veliki.
Osim toga, ne riješava se glavni izvor napuštenih pasa te je sklonište u protekle 3 godine zabilježilo porast primljenih pasa za čitavih 300%, umjesto nekadašnjih 200 psa na godišnjoj razini, sada bilježe 600 pasa na godišnjoj razini.
Nedavni poziv predstavnika romskog naselja Parag g. Matjaža Oršuša rezultirao je posjetom romskom naselju te ponovnim izvlačenjem najkritičnijih dvadesetak pasa koji su bili u zadnjem stadiju oboljenja od šuge, puni rana, s polomljenim nogama ili vidljivim ozljedama. U samom je naselju ostalo još najmanje sedamdesetak takvih pasa kojima je najhitnije potrebna veterinarska skrb kako bi se spriječila njihova daljnja patnja. Mi trenutno skupljamo novčana sredstava za kupnju tableta protiv unutarnjih i vanjskih nametnika koje ćemo sami otići aplicirati psima u naselje (nextgard, simparica, bravecto, advocate spot on) u razmaku od 3 tjedna dva puta, ali to je samo za pse u jednom naselju jer nismo u mogućnosti prikupiti tablete za sve njih.
Sklonište koje se financira samo 30% iz sredstava lokalne samouprave nije u mogućnosti samo riješiti problem koji bi se trebao riješiti na državnoj razini, ali ovim putem ponovo moli javnost da se o hororu u romskim naseljima govori jer te životinje su tamo prepuštene polaganoj i bolnoj smrti te velikoj patnji iz dana u dan.
I opet govorimo o njih gotovo 2000 u 12 romskih naselja Međimurske Županije.
Mnogi od pasa u nekim naseljima su i zlostavljani, a prema riječima i opisima djece u osnovnim školama u blizini nekih od naselja, psi se teško zlostavljaju, organiziraju se borbe pasa te novi naraštaji tamo rastu u ljude bez imalo empatije prema drugom živom biću.
U privitku šaljemo nove fotografije snimljene početkom rujna.
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 28. September 2017 um 09:57 Uhr Von: “Förderverein Lucky Farm e.V.” <foerderverein@lucky-farm.de> Betreff: Schaffensplätze zu vergeben
“Ich will Tierschutz machen ♥“
Greifen Sie jetzt zu – eine seltene bis einmalige Chance, endlich frei mit Tieren zusammensein zu können, rund um die Uhr. Seien Sie für die Tiere da und werden Sie Freunde!
Sie steigen ein in ein fertiges Umfeld mit vielen Tieren, bestehendem Verein, eigene Anlage, Gefüge aus Interaktionen, Netzwerk und vielem mehr – Sie müssen nur noch machen 🙂 … !
Subject: Termin: 30.09.2017 veganes Oktoberfest in München
Veranstaltungshinweis
Samstag, 30. September 2017: veganes Oktoberfest in München
Wir feiern Oktoberfest – ohne Tierleid! Denn wir vegane Bayern lieben unsere Heimat, das Brauchtum, die Berge, und die bayerische Küche – und gerade deswegen verzichten wir auf tierische Produkte! Das Alpenvorland und das Gebirge sind mit riesigen Weideflächen überzogen und verdrängen die ursprüngliche Natur. Grossangelegte Ställe und Misthaufen verseuchen das Grundwasser, verpesten die Luft und beuten die sogenannten “Nutztiere” aus. Fleisch- und Fischgerichte in rauhen Mengen werden als “traditionelle bayerische Küche” propagiert und erzeugen Zivilisationskrankheiten und unermessliche Tierquälerei. Die vegane Lebensweise schützt die Natur, wirkt sich positiv auf die Gesundheit aus und rettet Millionen von Tierleben – nicht nur in Bayern! Auf der veganen Wiesn findet Ihr ausführliche Informationen zu allen Tierrechtsthemen, gute Unterhaltung auf der grossen Aktionsbühne und vegane Schmankerl zum probieren. Die Vereinigung Ärzte gegen Tierversuche ist mit einem Infostand vertreten.
Zeit: 30.09.2017, 10 Uhr bis 18 Uhr
Ort: Marienplatz München
Veranstalter: Communitiy Activism to Save Nature, C.A.T.S.Nature e.V., www.catsn.org
AG München der Vereinigung Ärzte gegen Tierversuche
(de/en) Es ist wieder soweit! Am Freitag, 6. Oktober 2017 kommen wir vor dem Schlachthof Zürich zusammen, um uns von den Tieren zu verabschieden und gemeinsam aktive Anteilnahme leisten. Wir treffen uns um 04:00 Uhr morgens beim Parkplatz Bienen, an der Kreuzung Bienen-/Herdernstrasse 8004 in Zürich. Bevor es losgeht, stellen wir uns kurz vor, besprechen den Ablauf und beantworten Fragen bei Bedarf. Wir entscheiden gemeinsam, wann die Aktion startet und wann sie beendet ist (normalerwese um ca. 06:30 Uhr) und halten in jedem Fall eine kurze Nachbesprechung ab. Viele der Teilnehmenden müssen nach der Nachtwache direkt zur Arbeit gehen. Für diejenigen, die danach noch Zeit haben, gehen wir zur Verarbeitung des Geschehenen noch zusammen Kaffee-Trinken / Frühstücken. Bei Fragen und Anregungen könnt ihr uns gerne jederzeit ein Mail schreiben: sn-zh@immerda.ch
Wir freuen uns auf euch! ♥
You’re invited to the 25th annual Animal Law Conference, October 13-15 in Portland, Oregon.
Kastration und Adoption statt Tötungsstation!Stoppt das rumänische Hundemassaker! Das Problem packt man nicht am Schwanz, sondern man löst es an der Wurzel!
„Earthlings changed my life. Had hubby, son and gf watch it that same night. We’ve been full blown vegans for 6 beautiful months. I’m now an activist. Anybody can change. I’m 58 and only wished I would have seen the light much earlier. earthlings.com“
This little girl says NO to meat! That’s a great message by a little girl. Wisdom must not come with age, it comes from the heart… Sadly most adults have so many excuses to eat animals.
Pelz? 60 Sekunden, die jeder gesehen haben sollte http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z_UlHf50nA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUO4Wc93amyc9VDvzTa1bekg Viele Menschen glauben, dass Pelztiere nur in Pelztierfarmen in China leiden. DAS ISTNICHT SO! Sie leiden kläglich in Pelzfarmen weltweit. Dies ist ein Screenshot des Videos eines analen Stromschlags in einer Pelzfarm in Illinois. Sie sterben nicht sofort, sie gehen in einen Schockzustand, während ihre Innereien grundsätzlich vom Strom “gekocht” werden. SEHEN Sie sich das VIDEO an:
Click to generate real cash donations for nonprofits to help people in Haiti, children, women, seals, primates, pets and wolfes, protect big cat habitat,to save rainforest, and more – just by clicking. The sponsors help to turn clicks into donations. It doesn’t cost you anythink and helps!
Bei jedem Online-Einkauf Wildtierschutz Deutschland unterstützen – ohne Zusatzkosten
Es funktioniert ganz einfach! Über 400 Shops bieten über die Plattform boost Provisionen an, die bei Ihrem Einkauf oder Ihrer Urlaubsbuchung uns automatisch zu Gute kommen. Für Sie entstehen keine Zusatzkosten!
Die Sponsoren spenden für jeden Klick auf “Take action!”
Es werden Projekte für Hilfe für Haiti, Kinder, Frauen, Regenwälder, Wale, Affen, Wildtiere, Heimtiere, Wölfe, etc unterstützt. Es ist kostenlos und hilft!
Posted on September 25, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We are pleased to have given some financial support to the making of the new film about the suffering that has been Tibet since it was invaded by China.
Here is a short animation about the future.
It is an exciting time to speak out for the people of Tibet who have recently suffered so much.
Read more by typing in ‘Free Tibet’ on the search box at the top right of the page.
The photos below are from our own archive and are not directly associated with the petition – SAV.
Why this is important
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA IS ABOUT TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO THEIR ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE ACT THAT MEAN SLAUGHTER OF HEALTHY STRAYS AND ONGOING MISUSE OF FUNDS INTENDED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THESE ANIMALS. TO STOP THIS LAW COMING INTO EFFECT IT IS CRITICAL WE LOBBY THE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AUTHORITIES NOW.
PETITION LETTER, TO BE SUBMITTED TO EU AND BIH PARLIAMENT AND EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE:
For some time in Bosnia and Herzegovina mass hysteria about stray animals has been systematically created by continuous political and media propaganda that aims to get public attention and direct citizens away from more pressing problems: unemployment, the failing economy, organised crime, corruption, failure of institutions to implement laws, the crime rate, which is continuously increasing.
Instead public attention is directed to those who cannot defend themselves, who are not guilty because they are abandoned and who are themselves victims of a dysfunctional and corrupt system in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the stray animal populations.
The burgeoning stray animal population, that has been caused by people is being publicised as an “animal problem”.
For months certain political parties and media spread hatred against stray dogs in particular, and intentionally are causing fear and hatred. Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have almost no interest in a humane reduction of stray animals.
The large number of stray animals on the streets of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a direct consequence of a failure to implement the existing Animal Protection and Welfare Act. It is a fact that an increasing number of stray dogs on the streets is always a direct consequence of the failure to implement preventative measures which are provided by this Animal Protection and Welfare Act.
And instead of making provisions to implement the law, a proposal for changes and amendments to the Animal Protection and Welfare Law has been made by Nermina Zaimović – Uzunović, a member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly and a member of the Social Democratic Party, amendments which contain primitive and inhumane provisions for the euthanasia of healthy stray animals that are fostered in shelters if they are not adopted in 14 days.
This provision is not enforceable or advisable in practice because of the following reasons:
1) Euthanasia deals only with symptoms but not the causes of stray animal population problems. It will not lead to population management and must not be relied upon as a sole response to such problems. The focus of euthanasia of healthy stray dogs is on the consequence, not the cause of the problem. If causes that lead to the abandonment of animals are not resolved, the problem will continue. if those who are responsible for the implementation of the Animal Protection Act of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the media and political parties are only focused on consequences and not on the causes, the problem of stray animals will not be solved by any method.
2) Euthanasia as a way to manage the population of abandoned animals is five times more expensive than the implementation of TNR / CNR methods (catch – spay/neuter – release) and the construction of shelters for stray animals–which should function as centres for the adoption of stray animals.
Does this mean there is money for killing stray animals, but there is no money to implement the existing Animal Protection and Welfare Law? The proposed amendments do not lay out a financing plan nor do they offer money-saving solutions. The costs of euthanasia are 30% higher than those of neutering/spaying.
3) Nowhere in the world has euthanasia solved the problem of stray dogs for any period of time.
4) In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in other parts of the world, there is no system that would efficiently and without consequences to the environment solve the problem of vast amounts of biological waste resulting from mass euthanasia. The proposed amendments to the BiH Animal Welfare Act do not include any mechanism that would allow the country to remove corpses of dead animals in large numbers, no provision for financing such a project.
In practice what does the implementation of these the proposed amendments to the BiH Animal Welfare Law mean?
This proposal aims to provide a carte blanche for the mass killing of stray animals, and to conveniently put aside four years of inaction regarding the implementation of the existing Animal Protection and Welfare Law. The existing law includes provisions for identification and registration of ownership of dogs. Irresponsible owners abandoning dogs and owners refusing to sterilise their free-roaming dogs are some of the main causes of the stray dog population problem. The proposer of the new amendments does not mention these issues, nor offers a plan for improvement of implementation of the existing provisions. This means the problem will keep occurring: the cause is being ignored and only the result is being addressed.
Also, this proposal removes responsibility for the above mentioned inaction from the lower levels of government, the veterinary profession, inspections and police, a responsibility and its implementation which is clearly and precisely provided by the existing Animal Protection and Welfare Law.
It was clear even to the minister who proposed the disputed new provisions and her political party that implementation of the provisions of the euthanasia of healthy stray animals is technically and financially impossible. Humane euthanasia practises are costly — this requires trained professionals and expensive drugs. Dogs in shelters are known to be ‘euthanised’ inhumanely in a number of ways including clubbing. Images from other state shelters show starving dogs and dog corpses left amongst living dogs.
The new amendments are intended to mask the massacres of stray animals that will occur. The proposed amendments clearly reveal considerable inconsistencies. For example, keeping the obligation to invest in mass neutering, but also dictating obligatory allocation of funds to euthanise these very same dogs.
The existing Animal Protection and Welfare Law is an absolutely enforceable and functional law and it is not enforced because of political interests. After four years from adoption and entry into force of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, there are continued obstructions to its implementation. Also, enormous funds have been laundered through the so-called shelters for stray animals, whose owners, directors, managers, are people close to the local municipal authorities.
The building of shelters for stray animals is, in fact, supposed to be completed in all cities by May, 2010. They are not completed. The proposed new amendments for euthanasia of healthy stray animals will provide income to complete work that should have been done over 3 years ago: dogs will be inhumanely killed in order to allow for this redirection of the use of the money to build shelters. Moreover new shelters will certainly continue to be completely inadequate for the health and well-being of dogs kept there, as has been documented regarding existing shelters all over the country, both new and old.
Furthermore, the European Union provides the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina with many millions of euros worth of financial aid each year. The allocation for 2012 was around €107.8m. Our understanding of the provisos attached to these aid packages is that there is a requirement for the recipient country to abide by EU laws which would include the laws related to animal welfare.
If EU funding is being abused, why should tax payers money be promoting a regime which has no intention of upholding our standards of animal welfare and who seek to become members of the EU in the near future? What is going on here, with millions of Euros going to waste and animal suffering combined?
In the 2nd reading and voting on the proposed amendments to the of Animal Protection and Welfare Law which was held on 20th November, 19 representatives in House of representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina were against the new amendments, 22 of them were for, but there was not an entity majority from Republic of Srpska so the law was not changed. Since there was not entity majority, new voting will be on 5th December, 2013.
If the BiH Parliament votes for proposed amendments, there will be significantly negative consequences for the strays of the country, providing easy routes to continued inhumane ‘euthanasia’ of healthy strays (even those who have already been through spay-neuter programs!) and continued misuse of funds intended for the benefit of the strays.
Can you raise these issues to your counterparts in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and in EU Parliament, and comment as to how this situation appears to be on going and unaddressed?
Immediate international pressure on representatives of the BiH Parliament who are for “the kill law“ is extremely important in order to influence them to change their attitude towards the proposed amendments, and to seek, rather, to implement all provisos of what is a very good Animal Welfare Act.
