Posted on February 26, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We are running our EU / Serbian petition in parallel with the one by ‘Anima Mundi’ to shut down dog hell hole in Vardariste, Skopje, Macedonia – Scroll further down on this page to read and see more about this.
Please also make sure that you sign their petition at:
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The EU / Serbian Petition
As promised at the start of the week, our petition regarding Serbian animal welfare enforcement being properly enforced before Serbia is allowed EU accession (membership) has now been created.
You can see it and sign via the following link:
You will see that we have entered the following text into the petition, which is targeted at the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr J. Hahn.
The following is the wording of the petition:
Title – Serbia must fully enforce its own national animal welfare legislations prior to membership of the EU.
Whom do you want to petition – EU Commissioner J. Hahn – Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
Why should people sign –
Serbia is currently undertaking the process of applying for EU membership (called ‘accession’). Existing animal welfare legislation in Serbia is good, but in the vast majority of cases it is not regularly / ever being enforced by:
Serbian government, regional authorities or the national police.
By the EU Commission’s own admission; ‘there is legislation in place (Serbian Animal Welfare Laws), but this is not fully implemented’.
By not implementing its own existing laws; which include animal welfare; Serbia is not upholding a fundamental principle required by any nation to gain EU accession; which include:
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ensuring the implementation of all the nation’s own “Rules of Law” national legislations
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“paying full regard to the welfare requirements of animals” in accordance with the key principles required for all EU member states as defined in Article 13 of the EU Lisbon Treaty (TFEU).
Serbia is currently failing in this and its own national animal welfare legislations. As a consequence, it should not currently be considered for EU accession until it fully implements and proves to the EU Commissions, EU animal welfare NGO’s and the EU Animal Welfare Intergroup / Eurogroup, that it IS actually fully implementing ALL existing Serbian animal welfare legislations.
EU Commissioner J. Hahn is responsible for EU Enlargement Negotiations which include Serbian accession. Within his responsibilities, he must ensure that a PRE- EU membership Serbia:
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fully complies with Article 13 (TFEU)
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fully respects Serbian welfare of animals legislation
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pays full regard to, and implements the welfare requirements (legislations) for all animals (wild and domestic) within Serbia
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starts to provide on going financial support to Serbian animal shelters rather than attempting to close them down as is often the situation.
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Additional note:
We have already seen dramatic failures in animal welfare controls by the EU in newer member states such as Romania. We don’t want Serbia to be yet another example of a new nation being allowed to join the EU without all the national legislation being properly and correctly enforced beforehand.
As the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations; Commissioner Hahn has responsibility for overall Serbian accession into the EU.
This petition is calling on him to ensure that the Serbian authorities are made fully aware that (via the petition and SAV for example), the whole world is watching them and their attitude to animal welfare.
Serbia has some good national legislation for animal welfare, but it is NOT being enforced.
As the EU has responsibility to ensure that nations seeking EU accession such as Serbia, fully implement all their own national legislation; or “Rules of Law” as it is described by the EU; then Serbia has to take a lot of action to ensure that there is correct and long lasting implementation of its own laws for all animal welfare.
We will be watching to ensure that the EU does live up to its promise of ensuring there is implementation of the rule of law by Serbia prior to EU accession; and as an animal welfare NGO, we will naturally be watching Serbia itself to see where there are improvements and possibly failures in implementing national legislation.
Please support our petition by signing – and pass on to the moon and back to all your friends, supporters and fellow campaigners.
Thanks and Regards – Mark and SAV.
You can see it and sign via the following link:
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 24, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear all;
We have had the following e mail (given in full below) in from our other friends at ‘Anima Mundi’ in the Republic of Macedonia.
Please make sure that you sign their petition at:
… and if you are associated with any animal organisation or campaign group / NGO; then please write a short letter of support as they ask in the info provided in 1) below.
We are pleased to have worked in support of our friends at Anima Mundi in the past relating to several issues; including the dogs being held and murdered at “Vardariste” in Skopje.
Here is a link to all our past work relating to the Republic of Macedonia; including past posts and pictures we have shown about this infamous, terrible facility for animals:
We wish Anima Mundi great success with their petition and we ask people from all over the World to send letters of support to them – these letters MUST be sent before 3/3/15. Please pass on the information and links to everyone you know – we need to get a huge INTERNATIONAL response of signatures on this petition. Lets do it ! – Thanks – SAV.
All the photographs we show here are taken from the facility in question – “Vardariste” in Skopje. We need to close it down !!
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The following is the information mailed to us by ‘Anima Mundi’ – please do what you can to help !
Respected friends,
We, the animal protection association Anima Mundi, from the Republic of Macedonia . www.anima-mundi.org.mk, a national non-profit organization recognized in our country as the most active in protection of animals and their rights, are asking for your support and help.
We need your support in our struggle to close down the infirmary for stray animals ” Vardariste ” in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia . It is a place that has been practicing mass murder of animals for years which, we believe, is happening under direct command of the Mayor of Skopje, something we find difficult to prove. You can find more information on this petition site, which we ask of you to publicly share with your members and supporters.
What do we require specifically?
1) Please send us a short official written letter of support to our struggle to close down the stray animals infirmary “Vardariste” in Skopje. We inform you that we have submitted countless abuse reports about the infirmary and requests for entry of volunteers. We have led mass protests supported by the media in this country, but with no effect whatsoever. We believe that if we are supported by many organizations, the pressure will be stronger and we will have a positive outcome, or at least some improvement. Macedonia as a country aspiring to join the EU must meet certain standards with regard to animals as well. We want the institutions to be aware that Vardariste has compromised the city, our country and that the killing must be stopped.
You can send this short letter to us, addressed to the Association for protection of animals Anima Mundi
( anima.mundi.sk.mk@gmail.com ) and to the competent authorities and institutions:
– The Mayor of Skopje, Mr. Koce Trajanovski – Director of Food and Veterinary Agency, Mr. Zoran Popovski, – Department of Health and Animal Welfare, Food and Veterinary Agency, – President of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Nikola Gruevski
– CC Animal Protection Organization “Anima Mundi”
Please send us your letter by Friday 03/03/2015 . Your support will be publically published in all media in the Republic of Macedonia.
2 ) Share this petition in order to reach more people including your members and supporters . http://www.thepetitionsite.com/966/392/511/stop-killing-dogs-in-skopje-shut-down-vardariste/ Please publish this link on your web pages and social networks * ( facebook , twitter , etc ) during this week.
3 ) Each of your proposals, shared experience or other types of help, is welcome in our fight to stop the terror over the stray dogs in Skopje .
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Best regards,
Animal protection organization Anima Mundi
president Stole Velkovski
Здружение за заштита на животни „АНИМА МУНДИ“
Animal Protection Association “ANIMA MUNDI”
Денарска сметка: 240090002006130
Депонент: Уни Банка АД – Скопје
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, MACEDONIA (Capital - Skopje), PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Stand By – Over the next few days we hope to be launching a new petition which encompasses Serbia wishing to gain EU accession, whilst at the same time failing to meet the fundamental principle of EU Member States that they must enforce the ‘rule of law’ (in their own country) regarding many animal welfare issues. We trust you have seen some of the photographs in other recent posts as well as non EU compliance statements made by EU farm animal welfare organisations who know the rules !
This all relates to the changes made in the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 which is now renamed as the ‘Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union’ (TFEU).
This includes new laws for animal welfare; including the statement that:
‘the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals’
Unfortunately; and typically for the EU; certain topics of animal protection remain under the responsibility of the Member States (e.g. the use of animals in competitions, shows, cultural or sporting events and the management of stray dogs).
Stray dog management being a subject the EU is very aware of due to the excellent work of many campaign NGO’s over the years – and hence why there must be EU wide legislation relating to stray dog management introduced very soon.
Despite this failure of the EU to protect stray dogs, instead leaving ‘protection’ (so they call it – we call it ‘mass murder’) to individual nations !!!; we can still present a great deal to the EU Commission where we consider that Serbia is failing in meeting the EU accession requirements of the TFEU with regard to animals and their welfare. These other issues are what the petition will hinge around.
Below is the reference to; and selective relevant sections of the TFEU relating to animal welfare; which we have shown in red bold type.
Stand by in the coming days to see the new petition link posted here on this site and in many other places – we hope it will be a big signature one !
THE TFEU
Title II of TFEU lists some key principles the Union should respect. Here an Article 13 has been introduced with the Lisbon Treaty. It states that: “In formulating and implementing the Union’s agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.
“The Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force on the 1st of December 2009 amends the current founding treaties, i.e. the Treaty on European Union (EU Treaty), which will retain its name; and the Treaty Establishing the European Community (EC Treaty), which will be renamed as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
This puts animal welfare on equal footing with other key principles mentioned in the same title i.e. promote gender equality, guarantee social protection, protect human health, combat discrimination, promote sustainable development, ensure consumer protection, protect personal data.
It needs, however, to be noted that the European Union operates under the principles of conferred competences and subsidiarity. So competences not conferred upon the Union in the Treaties remain with the Member States and under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas that do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Union shall act only if and in so far as the objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States (Article 1, 4 and 5 of the EU Treaty). As a consequence certain topics of animal protection remain under the responsibility of the Member States (e.g. the use of animals in competitions, shows, cultural or sporting events and the management of stray dogs).
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SAV Thinking Summary:
IF THE EU ‘MAKES THE RULES’, THEN SURELY THEY MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ‘THEIR RULES’ ARE NOT BROKEN BY MEMBER / ACCESSION STATES ??
– IF WE HAVE CLEAR EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT RULES ARE BEING BROKEN, THEN THE EU MUST BE INFORMED – HOPEFULLY TO CORRECT IT – THEIR OWN RULES THAT IS !
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Hunt news from Germany.
The state of Baden-Wuerttermberg has passed a new set of hunting laws, which come into force in April. Passionately fought by the hunting societies in the last months, at least as concerns animal welfare improvements, it nevertheless contains much that caters to the hunters’ interests.
One being the new law that henceforth fox cubs may be caught (and killed) directly from the den, where a cage sticks in the mouth of the den, and the cubs are then trapped at the upper end, to be killed by the hunters later) WITHOUT extra permission by the authorities.
So far that sort of thing used to be the exception; as from April onwards it will become the widespread rule.
Also, in the Saarland hunters are now targeting mainly pregnant vixens at this time of year.
Legally, of course.
The hunting society of a rural Bavarian community recently withdrew their plans of shooting some 100 foxes on a single weekend (beginning of Feb: mating season) (across several districts) for reasons of “population control”.
They ran into trouble with PETA in Stuttgart, who threatened to take them to court should they persist. However, who knows what happened when nobody was looking ..?
A 50+year old German hunter has been charged for shooting a young man (26) recently, thinking him, in poor sight, a wild boar.
He got away with a suspended sentence of 2 years.
In contrast, a young man who protested in front of a well-known (for selling fur) Austrian clothing retailer, was dragged inside by staff, beaten to the point of requiring hospitalization, and later sentenced to 7 months in prison, effective immediately.
No further comment required – one rule for most; another for hunters.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
U R G E N T !!!
Nearing the deadline for payment of the debt, and we have not even a quarter collected.
More and more I’m afraid that the dogs have to return to the street, because we have no other solution currently.
Everything what we did for them so far, will be in vain … their lives will again be are jeopardized. Can someone help them to stay safe ???
16 DOGS ARE IN BOARDING KENNELS AND THEIR FUTURE IS NOW A VERY UNCERTAIN.
WE ARE PAST DUE ON THEIR BOARDING FEES ARE FIND WE ARE IN REALLY BIG TROUBLE… WE ARE APPEALING TO EVERYONE TO HELP US KEEP THESE STRAY DOGS OFF THE STREETS AND SAFE!!!
Lina’s Animal Rescue is organisation for animal welfare from Serbia . . We have 17 dogs in small private unfinished shelter, 20 dogs in 2 boarding kennels and 15 kitties in one rescuer’s home.
Funds are desperately needed to pay the boarding kennel fees. We have debt for December for 10 dogs and still unpaid January for 16 dogs. The life of street dogs everywhere is difficult, but here in Serbia the dog catchers kill them rather than rescue them. Finding homes is very difficult as the culture in Serbia is not to adopt dogs, but rather buy a puppy then turn it out in the streets later when it is grown.
Ideally we want to adopt the dogs outside Serbia, but this involves blood-work, lab tests and transportation fees. The average Serbian salary is 200€ and each dog’s boarding fees are 60€ per month ( 40 boarding kennel + 20 food ) . With 20 dogs currently in boarding facilities, the debt is too great to even think about renovating our shelter.
First we must improve our housing situation as boarding costs are too high, pay bills and veterinary fees and then join forces with international rescue groups to finds these animals ‘furever” homes outside of Serbia. .
Please donate , this is URGENT APPEAL !
Spread the word!
Youcaring is a perfectly safe site in Canada where you can donate to causes such as this.
*
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SHELTER - Information, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Drustvo za zastitu zivotinja ALEX
Victor’s story.
Victor was saved in 2008.
On a tip that a dog is in poor condition, that only serves as a guard dog, and that nobody cares for him, volunteers of NGO “Alex” immediately went on the field and took the custody over the dog. They named him Victor.
Horror is a mild word for the poor state the dog was in. Starved and weak, he had a heavy chain around his neck, food and water was nowhere to be seen, and he had a bad skin disease Demodex.
It took a long time for Victor to recover, to learn that he is no longer limited by a meter long chain, that food and water are always available to him, and that every day there is someone who will come and pet him, talk to him with a gentle voice and nice words.
Victor began to flourish. He got better, but kept his position of a housekeeper.
He doesn’t like other dogs and cats, but with people he is simply wonderful. He likes to go for walks and enjoys being in the center of attention.
Victor is now 8 years old.
He hasn’t found a home yet.
Volunteers of “Alex” would give everything if he could go to a family that will love and cuddle him for the rest of his life.
But, if that does not happen, Victor is grateful that he got a second chance in life. We don’t even want to think of the fate that would have awaited him if he had remained with that chain, and in those conditions for one more day or one more month… one more year he would not have survived.
Victor is a dear dog. He acts as if he wants nothing more than what he already has. But we think he deserves a home.
If anyone is interested in adopting him, it would be the most beautiful news for him and for us.
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SHELTER - Information, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 21, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment:
The following shows just a fraction of the photographic and video evidence that we and others have regarding animal suffering in Serbia that is not being addressed by the Serbian government and authorities. IT IS NOW TIME FOR CHANGE – especially as Serbia wishes to become a new EU member. Citizens of the EU will not tolerate this kind of animal abuse.
We will be a Serbian Animals Voice !
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Further to the letter sent to EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn by English MEP / Vice President of the EU Intergroup for Animal Welfare, Mr Keith Taylor on 19th February 2015;
We at SAV have now completed a follow up letter to the Commissioner giving him several video links and many photographs of ‘animal welfare’ (??) situations we have experienced over the last few years at SAV. Note that we have published all the animal fighting videos on this site during the last month.
As you can see from our letter, we are asking Commissioner Hahn; who has overall EU responsibility for “European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations” – ie. allowing the Republic of Serbia to become a member of the EU; to review our presentation, photographs and animal fighting links (especially) to ensure that the Serbian government; local authorities and national police actually take EXISTING Serbian legislation much more seriously by actually enforcing the law. This is something we have not seen much proof of during our last 10 years producing this site.
We have been working with Mr. Taylor MEP over the last few weeks on this very issue. As both Keith says in his letter, and we also do in ours; by allowing animal abuse such as can be seen for example in the video links; and by not enforcing its own (Serbian laws) on animal welfare; which are good; Serbia is NOT upholding the fundamental principle set by the EU for new member states of proving that they are enforcing ‘the rule of law’ (their own national legislation) within their own borders.
And so by not enforcing the ‘rule of law’ on animal welfare as one example; and using Serbian legislation within Serbia to prosecute offenders; it (Serbia) is showing the EU that on just this one particular issue alone that we are involved with, national legislation IS NOT being applied. Thus it should be considered that Serbia is currently not in a position to be a suitable EU member state.
Only when Serbia actually does apply Serbian law on animal welfare; and prosecutes or takes other actions as necessary to prove things ARE being done to the EU; should it then be seen to be complying with the EU ‘rule of law’ requirements and thus be allowed to join the EU as a new member state.
Please click on the following link to read our follow up letter to EU Commissioner Hahn in full.
Note that at the start; all contact addresses have been removed from the original.
IMPORTANT – when you click on the following link below, you should then see a Word doc with this same name as below appear at the bottom of the site. Simply click on this same Word doc to open the letter.
It should start by saying: “Addresses removed from original sent”.
We now await further correspondence in future from the Commissioner regarding our letter and that of Keith Taylor MEP; and we will immediately report any news of information on this site.
We have lots of excellent Serbian campaigner friends and shelter operating friends – see some of them and their work at our ‘Shelters’ section of the site – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/serbian-shelters/ They work relying entirely on supporter donation support when it should also be provided by the government, who should have animal welfare responsibilities; especially regarding the keeping of stray animals in shelters.
Evidence is provided to the authorities; and they simply ignore it and walk away, leaving our friends to pick up the animal pieces. It should not be the case that hard evidence of causing suffering is just ignored.
We are finally starting to reach a corner. The government and authorities have done very little for animal welfare for many years by ignoring the evidence and failing to prosecute those who cause suffering. Maybe now that Serbia wants EU accession the tide is turning. They are NOT complying with the fundamentals of EU accession – namely enforcing the rule of (Serbian) law within Serbia. We, as an EU based NGO will continue to provide the evidence to the EU. We need the EU to act and inform Serbia that it is not enforcing its own laws for animal welfare. And we say to the EU, until Serbia does and proves that it is enforcing the law, it should not be allowed to become a new member state of the EU.
Serbian government and regional authorities needs to get their house in order re animal welfare before the EU even considers their accession. We speak for Serbian welfare campaigners, shelters and also for the current citizens of the EU who are shocked and appalled by what they see on this site.
Serbian government and authorities – clean up your act
– make things better for animals, not worse!
SAV.
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (Capital - Sarajevo), CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
