Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

The following is a direct copy of a presentation made by Zlata, Slavica and Branka; Serbian citizens, to members of the Serbian government on the subject of asking for their (the governments) full support for the establishment of a No Kill spay and neuter policy throughout Serbia.  This content of this letter is fully endorsed by both SAV and OIPA -Organization of International Protection of Animals; Milano.

 

 

—– Original Message —–

From: Help Animals

To: mkrstic@predsednik.srbija.yu ; lgvozden@sr.gov.yu ; snezana.poledica@minpolj.sr.gov.yu ; micovicz@minpolj.sr.gov.yu ; s.celebicanin@minpolj.sr.gov.yu ; kabinetpredsednika@parlament.sr.gov.yu ; muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu ; kabinet@ljudskaprava.gov.rs ; kabinet.zdravlje@zdravlje.sr.gov.yu ; kabinet.mps@sr.gov.yu ; kontakt@predsednik.srbija.yu ; info@ekoserb.sr.gov.yu ; rjtdz@bitsyu.net

 

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008

 

Subject: YOUR SUPPORT TO NO KILL SPAY AND NEUTER STRATEGY – in order to legally practice general public benefit

 

 

President of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Government of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water management, Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Veterinary Directorate, Belgrade

Ministry of Health, the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Ministry of Finance, the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Ministry of Ecology and Urban Planning, the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

Ministry of Education, the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade

 

September 25th, 2008

 

 

SUBJECT: YOUR SUPPORT TO NO KILL SPAY AND NEUTER STRATEGY – in order to legally practice general public benefit

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

we are asking You for Your public support, declarative and practical, of the nacional No Kill spay and neuter strategy, in the matter of:

eradication of irresponsible ownership of cats and dogs – as a cause, and therefore, eradication of stray cats and dogs problem – as a consequence,

by the President of Serbia, the Prime Minister of Serbia, Government of Serbia, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Veterinary Directorate, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, the Ministry of Education,

having in mind the general public, financial, legal and moral importance of the national No Kill spay and neuter strategy –

 

based on the fact that the Law Proposal has only changed the present methods of dealing with this problem regarding the lenght of time period from the moment of catching animals to the moment of their killing, thus significantly increasing public expenses by keeping cats and dogs up to 30 days in municipal shelters including the costs related to their food, medicines, vaccination and microchipping – all of it mandatory by the Law for every owner of the animal, either temporary or permanent.  

 

It is beyond any doubt, that it is illegal and punishable to maltreat animals, to be involved in money laundry and other kinds of financial criminal as well as to instruct, orally and in written, on behalf of the Veterinary Directorate, that it is legal to keep ‘stray’ cats and dogs in municipal shelters (in order to save money) without their microchipping, vaccination, medical treatment, feeding, elimination of parasites, i.e. without all the mandatory obligations of every animal owner from the moment of their receiption, temporary or permanent, since such instructions may be grounds for corruption, irresponsible spending of public money, lack of control of scope and quality of work done and therefore of the justifiblity of spent financial means.

 

 

With national No Kill spay and neuter startegy it is possible and necessary to achieve legal, financialy and moraly justified (moral spending of tax payers’ money and moral behaviour towards living being of other kinds) method of eradication of this social problem cause and effects, contrary to so far useless, uncontrolled and legaly discrepant solutions. With national No Kill spay and neuter startegy it is possible and necessary to statutory eliminate all possible ways of misuse of money for the animals and their ill tretament, as well as to respect the rights and feeling of the minority in Serbia who cares for the animals.        

 

Mandatory sterilization of companion cats and dogs, financed from the republic and municipal budgets, will provide legal, financialy and moraly reasonable method of solving this problem, as well as of all future expenses deriving from it, fully in accordance with the constitutional equality of human rights. 

 

Furthermore, it is necessary to enable continuous education of all generations of Serbian citizens, about the  correct behaviour towards animals and its proved effect on emphatic behaviour towards people, i.e. towards all weak and unprotected living creatures as a specific campaign against criminal and brutal behaviour and as a support to positive values in life.

 

Explication:

 

Selective sterilization (spay and neuter)  of only ‘stray’ cats and dogs increases general public expenses since it doesn’t deal with the continuous source of new, unregistered, not identified and not vaccinated animals –  the irresponsible owners, additionaly burdening the budgets.

      

The costs of expensive compensation towards the citizens who had been biten by those animals (since those animals were not microchipped) also burden municipal budgets, with the growing trend of financial manipulation.

 

Manipulations throughout Serbia, jointly undertaken by the hunters (armed individuals whose right to carry weapons is based only upon their membership in a citizen association usually sistematicaly violating the Law on Hunting for the sake of personal profit /e.g. killing foxes for personal profit in spite of the Law on Hunting of the Protected Species, massive killings of cats and dogs financied by the municipal budgets/ and the shinters-dog catchers, by their mutual contracts (between zoo hygene service and local veterinary service) are enabled by: – disregard of the Law on Veterinary Practice regulations; failure to organize anti-rabies (peroral) vaccination of wild animals, as obligatory to be done by the veterinarians and to be enabled by the hunters (financed from the republic budget). It is undoubtfully a common financial manipulation perpetrated via manipulation with the animals, as illustrated by the fact that a rabies virus depot, in a certain region, is not related to specific animal species – foxes, but to all the species of domestic and wild animals, and therefore, elimination of the potential RABIES VIRUS depots can be done only by elimination of ALL the entities in ALL animal species in subject region, domestic and wild – which makes this method of eradication of the virus totaly inadequate and irrational, and advocates for the vaccination importance and utilization.                   

 

No Kill spay & neuter strategy:

 

Mandatory sterilization of all companion cats and dogs, apart from their vaccination, microchipping and mandatory (peroral) anti-rabies vaccination of wild animals provides conditions for legal treatment of animals and controled spending of high amounts of money from tax payers in Serbia, with the tendency of reduction of these expenses. This tendency is of general social interest since it can help to save and redirect money from the republic and municipal budgets for e.g. eradication of  late phase of cervical cancer among women in Serbia as the most numerous population with this problem in whole Europe, by financing of national strategy for early carcinom detection and targeted cervical biopsy and cotization tretments in the process of disease verification and examination. This would dramaticaly increase the number of entirely cured women with their fully recovered generative and working ability, personal and family life.       

 

 

Conclusion:

 

Implementation of national No Kill strategy enables:

 

1.       eradication of the problem cause i.e. the problem of the irresaponsible owners whose legal rights can be restricted only by other citizens’ legal rights in their mutual interest and in the interest of animals which will no longer be ‘euthanasied’ as an euphemism for their killing ( euthanasia = the killing out of mercy, in terminal case of an intractable illness or complicated injury which cause great pain and suffering)

 

2.       eradication of the category of ‘stray’ cats and dogs population, as a consequence of irresponsible ownership

3.       eradication of Rabies virus in Serbia, with all the positive effects of this accomplishment and joining other European countries with same epizootiological level 

4.       eradication of immoral spending of money, collected from the tax payers’, for personal profit of the individuals, thus harming general public interest

5.       eradication of cases of late cervical carcinoma among women in Serbia and its consequential impact on their personal and family lives, of the expanses of their medical treatment still inefficient to prevent possible death  

 

 «It is time we steered by the stars and not by the lights of every passing ship.»

(Cordell Hull )

 

„Vreme je da se rukovodimo prema sjaju zvezda iznad nas, a ne prema svetlima svakog broda koji pored

   nas  prolazi.”  

 

 

Sincerely Yours,

 

Slavica Mazak Bešlić

Prijatelj-EPAR/OIPA/Alijansa za prava životinja/SAV/GAARP

24000 Subotica, Matka Vukovića,9

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/

www.epar.org.yu

epar@epar.org.rs

 

Zlata Korjenić

HELP ANIMALS

11000 Beograd

helpanim@bitsyu.net

 

Branka Paško

ARKA

21000 Novi Sad

arka@arka.org.rs

 

Mark Johnson

Serbian Animals Voice

London

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/

 

Massimo Pradella

OIPA -Organization of International Protection of Animals

Milano

www.oipa.org

 

 

Subject: VAŠA PODRŠKA NACIONALNOJ NO KILL STERILIZACIJA STRATEGIJI – radi zakonitog ostvarenja opšteg javnog interesa

 

Predsednik Republike Srbije,Beograd

Vlada Republike Srbije, Beograd

Predsednik  Vlade Republike Srbije,Beograd

Predsednik Narodne Skupštine Republike Srbije,Beograd

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede,šumarstva i vodoprivrede, Republike Srbije,Beograd

Uprava za veterinu,Beograd

Ministarstvo zdravlja Republike Srbije, Beograd

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije,Beograd

Ministarstvo zaštite životne sredine i prostorno planiranje Republike Srbije,

Ministarstvo za ljudska i manjinska prava, Beograd

Ministarstvo prosvete Republike Srbije,Beograd

25.9.2008.

Hitno

 

Poštovani,

 

Obraćamo Vam se s molbom  za javnu podršku , deklarativnu i praktičnu,  nacionalnoj No kill sterilizacija strategiji  za :

 

eradikaciju problema neodgovornog vlašništva pasa i mačaka –uzroka, te na taj način eradikaciju   problema pasa i mačaka „lutalica“ – posledica ,

 

od strane  Predsednika  Republike Srbije, Premijera Vlade  Republike Srbije ,Vlade Rep.Srbije,Ministarstva poljoprivrede,Uprave za veternu , Ministarstva zdravlja,Ministarstva za ljudska i manjinska prava, Ministarstva prosvete,

 

s obzirom na  opšti javni , materijalni , zakonski i  moralni značaj nacionalne No kill sterilizacija strategije –  

,koji  se temelji i na  činjenici da  dosadašnji način rešavanja – a  koji se  Nacrtom Zakona o dobrobiti životinja  menja samo u  pogledu redefinisanja  vremenskog intervala od  trenutka hvatanja do trenutka ubijanja   dovodeći do  značajnog povećavanja javnih troškova  držanjem pasa i mačaka do 30 dana u opštinskim prihvatilištima – nametanjem  troškova za hranjenje, lečenje,  vakcinisanje, mikročipovanje ,  na koje  zakon obavezuje  svakog  držaoca  bilo da je držanje privremeno ili trajno,

Nesporno je da  je protivzakonito  i zatvorski kažnjivo mučenje životinja , pranje novca i privredni prestupi i kriminal , kao i  eventualno  davanje uputstva – usmenog  ili pismenog  – od strane zaposlenih u Upravi za veterinu: da se  psi i mačke „lutalice“    mogu držati u opštinskim prihvatilištima  , radi uštede novca :  bez  mikročipovanja , vakcinisanja  , lečenja, hranjenja, ,uklanjanja endo-ektoparazita,  tj  bez svih postupanja prema životinjama  koja su zakonom  obligatna za svakog  držaoca  životinja od momenta kada  životinja stupi u objekat koji je u nadležnosti tog držaoca  : i  privremenog i trajnog. , iz razloga  što  davanje takvih uputstava  predstavlja  omogućavanja i podstrekivanja  korupcije,  nemoralnog trošenja  javnog novca , onemogućavanja  kontrole trošenja  javnog novca  nemogućnošću vršenja  kontrole  obima  i kvaliteta obavljenog posla i  kontrole  postojanja ili ne : namenskog trošenja novca  ili njegovog  protivpravnog prisvajanja i pranja novca.

 

Zakonit, finansijski i moralno opravdan (moralno trošenje novca poreskih obveznika i moralno postupanje s kičmenjacima druge vrste ) način eradikacije uzroka  i posledica ovog opšteg javnog problema ,  za čije dosadašnje bezuspešno, nekontrolisano , nesaglasno zakonima  Rep.Srbije ,rešavanje  , su trošeni , i troše se i danas , novci poreskih obveznika moguće je i nužno sprovesti na nacionalnom nivou  No kill sterilizacija strategijom ,kako bi se sve protivzakonite mogućnosti postupanja s novcem namenjenim ovom problemu i s životinjama ,  uklonile na zakonit način ,  i prestala  biti uzurpirana ljudska prava i nanočenje  mentalne agresije  značajnoj manjini gradjana Srbije – koja respektuje  životinje .

Obavezna sterilizacija vlasničkih pasa i mačaka o trošku republičkog i opštinskih budžeta omogućuje zakonit , finansijsko i moralno opravdan  način  uklanjanja  problema i svih budućih troškova koji su se njegovom persistencijom nametali  opštinskim i republičkom budžetu utemeljen na ustavom zagarantovana jednaka prava gradjana ,koja mogu biti  ograničena samo  identičnim pravima  drugih gradjana .

Takodje je potrebno omogućiti kontinuiranu edukaciju  gradjana Srbije, svih uzrasta,  o načinu ophodjenja prema životinjama , kao dokazanom temelju  stvaranja saosećajnog ophodjenja i prema ljudima  tj.prema svim nezaštićenim bespomoćnim  živim bićima radi afirmisanja   proverenog  puta  za smanjenje kriminaliteta , sistematskim potiskivanjem brutalnog odnosa prema  svim živim bićima i  afirmisanjem pozitinog stava prema  stvarnim vrednostima .

 

Obrazloženje:

 

Sterilizacija samo pasa i mačaka  „lutalica“ povećava  opšte javne izdatke  ,jer ostaje  prisutan i  nadalje  izvor novih  neobeleženih , nevakcinisanih jedinki : dvorišta neodgovornih vlasnika , troškovi njihovog obeležavanja i vakcinacije  opetovano opterećuju republiči i oipštinske budžete.

 

Ogromni odštetni zahtevi ujedenih gradjana – s obzirom da psi i mačke nisu  mikročipovani – padaju na teret opštinskih budžeta – gde je primećen  porast trenda manipulacija ovim novcem.

 

Manipulacije u kojima udruženo učestvuju lovci i  šinterski timovi (zoohigijeničarske službe i lokalne veterinarske službe po  medjusobnom ugovoru o delu ) u Srbiji –  ubijanjem  od strane  lovaca ( naoružanih  pojedinaca  koji svoje pravo na  korišćenje oružja zasnivaju jedino na  članstvu u  jednom udruženju gradjana koje  sistematično krši Zakon o lovstvu, radi sticanja lične materijalne  dobiti  ,  izmedju ostalog : opetovanim ubijanjima, Zakonom o lovstvu zaštićene vrste – lisice ,radi lične koristi pojedinaca ,  a  takodje i masovno ubijanje pasa i mačaka o trošku opštinskih budžeta – omogućeno je:
  nepostupanjem po nalozima Zakona o veterinarstvu  , nesprovodjenjem ( peroralne ) antirabične vakcinacije  divljih životinja , koje su dužni o trošku rep.budžeta sprovesti  veterinari , a omogućiti  to sprovodjenje : držaoci divljih životinja – lovci . Da je u pitanju manipulacija novcem  putem  manipulacija životinjama dokazuje činjenica da  se  suprotno egzaktnoj istini  da  rezervoar virusa rabiesa u jednom  regionu nije samo jedna životinjska vrsta -lisice  , nego sve životinjske  vrste , divljih i domaćih životinja – i da , ako se eradikacija VIRUSA RABIESA želi postići ubijanjem  potencijalnih rezervoara , moraju biti ubijene  SVE  jedinke SVIH  životinjskih  vrsta u tom regionu,  kako divljih tako  pripitomljenih – što ovaj način  eradikacije VIRUSA RABIESA  čini  neadekvatnim ,neracionalnim  i potencira značaj i primenjivost VAKCINACIJE  .

 

No kill sterilizacija strategija:

Obuhvatajući  obaveznu sterilizaciju  svih  valsničkih pasa i mačaka ,pored obavezne vakcinacije i mikročipovanja ,   i  obaveznu ( peroralnu )  antirabičnu  vakcinaciju divljih životinja  omogućuju zakonita postupanja prema životinjama i kontrolisano namensko trošenje ogromnih suma novca poreskih obveznika  Rep.Srbije ,s trendom pada tih troškova , što ima opšti društveni značaj  , jer se ovim putem – postupanjima po važećim zakonima  uštedjen deo novca poreskih obveznika  iz republičkog i iz  opštinskih budžeta može preusmeriti na eradikaciju  odmaklog  karcinoma  grlića materice kod žena u  Srbiji  – koja je na prvom mestu u Evropi po broju  žena obolelih od odmaklog karcinoma  grlića materice , – finansiranjem  nacionalne akcije rane detekcije  ovog  karcinoma koji je ,ukoliko  se dijagnostikuje – a to omogućuje   ranom detekcijom iznalaženje  suspektnih  slučajeva te sprovodjenje ciljane  kontrolisane biopsije i konizacije  grlića materice  radi histo-patološke verifikacije karcinoma i stepena njegove proširenosti . Na taj način  moguće je  značajno povećati broj žena koje su  100% izlečene, i koje ostaju 100% generativno i radno sposobne s  neporemećenim kvalitetom života  kako ličnog tako i života svoje  familije.

 

Zaključak :

 

Primenjivanje  nacionalne No kill sterilizacija strategije  omogućuje :

 

1. eradikaciju  uzroka problema tj. neodgovornih vlasnika – čija ustavna prava i slobode mogu biti ograničena samo pravima i slobodama  drugih gradjana , bez štete za gradjane obe grupe, a na korist  obe grupe  i životinja  koje  neće biti izložene  ubijanjima  , koja su  neopravdano imenovana   eutanazijom ( euthanasia ae,femininum+ ubistvo iz milosrdja, u terminalnom stadijumu inkurabilno  bolesne ili ireoarabilno povredjene jedinke koja trpi  neotklonjive bolove i patnju ) .
2. eradikacija  kategorije: pasa i mačaka „lutalica“- koja je  posledica neodgovornog vlasništva
3. eradikacija virusa rabiesa  u  Republici Srbiji , sa svim  opštim javnim korisnim efektima  ovog postignutog cilja ,  te pridruživanje  evropskim  državama  istog  epizootiološkog  kvaliteta
4. eradikacija nemoralnog trošenja  novca poreskih obveznika radi lične koristi pojedinaca , a na uštrb  opetovane štete opštem javnom inetersu,
5. eradikacija  odmaklog karcinoma grlića materice u  žena u Rep.Srbiji , i svih  nepovoljnosti za  obolelu ličnost i njenu familiju , i svih  troškova lečenja  ovog odmaklog  inkurabilnog karcinoma  koji ne otklanjaju  izvesnost  infaustnog ishoda  .

 

„It is time we steered by the stars and not by the lights of every passing ship. „   Cordell Hull

 

S poštovanjem

Slavica Mazak Bešlić

Prijatelj-EPAR/OIPA/Alijansa za prava životinja/SAV/GAARP

24000 Subotica, Matka Vukovića,9

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/

www.epar.org.yu

epar@epar.org.rs

 

Zlata Korjenić

HELP ANIMALS

11000 Beograd

helpanim@bitsyu.net

 

Branka Paško

ARKA

21000 Novi Sad

arka@arka.org.rs

 

Mark Johnson

Serbian Animals Voice

London

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/

 

Massimo Pradella

OIPA -Organization of International Protection of Animals

Milano

www.oipa.org

 

 

 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

As can be seen from our article earlier this week, https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/campaigns-move-on-this-week-15th-september-for-the-animals-of-serbia/  we have been busy writing to the Serbian government on the issue of a (Serbian) national humane sterilisation program for dogs and cats.

 

So we were delighted to receive a response within only a few days from Marina Čvorović at the State Secretary Office of the Serbian Ministry of Finance, declaring that the Ministry supports all legitimate efforts in the adoption of humane animal control policies.

 

We were delighted to hear this and on the 18^th September a thank you message has been returned to Marina Čvorović.

 

We have asked that we very much hope that it will be possible for the Ministry of Finance to engage with their colleagues at the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture on this issue, with special attention and emphasis being given to the most productive and effective use of limited financial resources allocated to stray/roaming animal welfare issues.  We also pointed out that we were sure the Finance Ministry would agree that Serbian taxpayers would wish to see the most beneficial results from their taxable
contributions, and with specific regard to animal welfare, this will be
achieved through the establishment of a ‘No Kill national sterilisation
programme’ as outlined in the orignal SAV and OIPA letters of 13th and 14th September.

 

We wish to publicly thank Marina Čvorović for the very rapid response from the ministry to our letters of concern about the animals.  We hope that within the next days and weeks we will also hear favourably from the Agriculture Ministry.

 

Also, as a parallel event to writing to the Serbian government, a formal written presentation has now been prepared by SAV for the EU Commissioners with regard the final delivery to the EU of the petition “Serbia Suffering”, which we closed around a week ago.  The petition can still be seen at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/serbia-suffering although it is no longer open for additional signatures.

The photograph which forms the image to our petition ‘Serbia Suffering’

The full copy of the petition and a covering letter outlining our concerns about Serbia not enforcing its own national animal welfare legislation, as well as a request for a No kill national sterilisation policy to be adopted by the Serbian government, are just two of the issues we are raising with the EU.

 

We are delighted that 5,538 signatures were collected for the petition in a very short time period – over five times our original estimate, and when combined with all the comments, they make an impressive document of some 246 A4 pages !

 

As many of the signatures and comments are from existing EU citizens, we will wait to see what the response is from the EU Commission about the situation for animals in Serbia on receipt and review of our letter, petition and several other attachments.  As and when information arrives, we will immediately inform you of any news.

 

So, things are moving along very much to our satisfaction; the Serbian government knows about the presentation of the petition to the EU, and this coming week the EU will have the formal copy of the petition on which to advance; which we hope includes writing back to us and giving their views and planned actions for the animals of Serbia.

 

We would especially like to thank everyone who has helped us to make this petition an effective campaign tool with the Serbian government and the EU Commission in working to obtain a better future for the animals in Serbia.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

In a further show of support for the implementation of a national No Kill strategy within Serbia, a letter has now been sent to Mr.Sasha Dragin – Minister of Agriculture,Serbia, and to Mr.ZoranMicovic – Director of Veterinary Department of Serbia, from Paola Ghidotti – International Campaigns Director and Massimo Pradella – International Chairman, of OIPA, the International Organisation for Animal Protection, based in Milan, Italy.

 

Please see the OIPA web site at  http://www.oipa.org/

 

Including information on the European Convention Protecting Pets and Stray Animals:

http://www.oipa.org/abandonment/europeanconvention.html

 

 

 

The main information contained within the OIPA letter is as follows:

 

“We are writing you on behalf of OIPA.  OIPA – International Organization for Animal Protection, is an International Confederation of associations (today, 170) for the animal protection and for the defence of animal rights all over the world. Founded in 1981 by Milly Shar Manzoli, OIPA is a Non Governmental Organisation associated to the UN Department of Public Information since 1992. The purpose of the Organization consists in the defence of animal rights and in the defence of the animals from every kind of mistreatment. It also follows the purpose of improving the public health through the abolishment of any kind of animal experiments throughout the world.

 

The organization we lead has been committed to the principle of protecting animal life since its inception more than 30 years ago, and so are our members and staff. It was OIPA, more than any other group, that pioneered the concepts of legislation, education, and sterilization to combat the pet overpopulation problem.

 

Today in Serbia, thousands of unwanted animals will suffer and die. A shocking number of dogs, cats, and others are born daily into a world whose homes and hearts don’t have room for them”.

 

“One unspayed dog and her offspring can lead to 67,000 dogs in six years. One unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 400,000 cats in seven years (The Humane Society of the United States, “HSUS Pet Overpopulation Estimates,” 2004)”.

 

“Spaying and neutering helps stem the tide of overpopulation. The real answer to the massive street animal population in Serbia is for all authorities to adopt a sterilisation programme. 

 

A ‘NO KILL’ policy.  It must be a national priority to reduce the number of stray animals over time. Shinters/dogcatchers are not animal control agencies – they are simply communal enterprises working on controlling the stray dog and cat populations”. 

 

“Tremendous as the problem of pet overpopulation is, it can be solved if each of us takes just one small step, starting with not allowing animals to breed.

 

The solution is this: only by implementing widespread sterilization programs, only by spaying and neutering all companion animals, will you get a handle on pet overpopulation.

 

Consider the fact that in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies. And, in seven years, one cat and her young can produce hundreds of kittens.

 

Given these high reproductive rates, it stands to reason that, in only a few years, carefully planned and implemented sterilization programs could produce a dramatic reduction in the number of unwanted companion animals born.  In fact, according news that we received from other countries, in those towns and cities that have implemented such programs, we’ve already seen the number of companion animals who had to be euthanized decline by 30 to 60 percent—even in those communities where human populations have been steadily increasing.

 

Successful pet population control programs range from subsidized sterilization clinics to cooperative efforts involving local veterinarians to mass media educational campaigns.

 

Only through the continued nationwide establishment of such programs you will bring an end to the tragedy of pet overpopulation.

 

The key is providing the means for people who are unable or unwilling to pay for surgeries to have access to the procedures.  Education, too, is an essential part of solving this problem. Unless people know the facts about pet overpopulation and sterilization, they are virtually helpless to do anything about the problem”.

 

“Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The disease has a long incubation period (six months) and symptoms may take several weeks to appear after infection. However, once symptoms appear, rabies is always fatal in animals.

 

Rabies has been recognized for centuries. It wasn’t until the 1880’s when work done by Louis Pasteur identified a virus as the cause of the disease.

 

Rabies is a disease listed in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 2007, (Article 2.1.1.3) and must be reported to the OIE (Chapter 1.1.2 – Notification of Diseases and Epidemiological Information).

 

The OIE – Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale –  provides science-based standards, guidelines and recommendations for the control of the disease in animals and to prevent the spread of the disease through trade as well as standards for the diagnosis of the disease and the preparation of vaccines for use in animals.  Through its network of Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centers the OIE provides policy advice, strategy design and technical assistance for the diagnosis, control and eradication of rabies.

 

–          –          European countries implementing effective wildlife rabies control programs that include oral vaccination campaigns have successfully eliminated the disease in wildlife (Switzerland 1999; France 2000; Belgium and Luxembourg 2001; Czech Republic 2004).

–          –          Population control and/or oral vaccination programmes for domestic and stray animals are being implemented in several developing countries where rabies is endemic.

–          –          Eradication is underway in North American countries

 

 

Some countries have implemented vigilant control measures and succeeded in eradicating the disease.

 

In countries where the disease is endemic, measures are implemented to address and reduce the risk of infection in susceptible populations (wildlife, stray and domestic animals) and create a buffer between the animal source of the disease and humans.

 

• Surveillance and reporting of suspected cases of rabies in animals
• Vaccination programs for domestic animals
• Research into disease dynamics, vaccines and effective delivery mechanisms for target populations
• Wildlife rabies control programs including vaccination (trap/vaccinate/release or delivery of oral vaccines)
• Population control and vaccination programs for stray animal populations

 

 

In addition, experience has shown that programs oriented toward preserving life are actually cost effective and cheaper than ones oriented toward killing. For example, it is far less costly to neuter a feral cat than it is to impound, hold, kill and dispose of a feral cat’s body. The savings is also exponential (preventing future generations of feral cats from being born and potentially entering shelters)”.

 

 

“OIPA fully support EPAR (OIPA member league) and all Serbian no kill associations”.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Paola Ghidotti – OIPA International Campaigns Director

 

Massimo Pradella – OIPA International Chairman

 

As with the SAV letter and the letter from US Diplomat Mrs. Susan Johnson, sent to Mr.Sasha Dragin and to Mr.Zoran Micovic within the last week and both supporting a Serbian national No Kill programme, we await responses and will provide updates of any correspondence if received from either Mr.Sasha Dragin and / or Mr.Zoran Micovic.

 

 

 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »