Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

From: Jelena Tinska

To: kontakt.predsednik@predsednik.rs; Predsednik vlade predsednikvladesrbije@gov.rs

Subject: Re: We don’t want Serbia in EU! Their Animal torture must stop!!!

Sent: Sat, December 11, 2010 7:59:28 PM

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/monk-and-wolf-monah-i-vuk/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/poor-dog-was-sexual-abused-until-she-died–loznica-serbia-president-boris-tadic-horror-in-loznica/

Dear All

I am Jelena Tinska an actress in my country, Serbia. I cannot afford to help unhappy dogs and other animals financially as they would deserve, without cruel killings and torture that happens to them in this country and which is unfortunately their destiny. But since I work in media and TV, I have become “an extended arm in the media ” to the associations that fight for the wellbeing of the animals. I have my own weekly talk show ZEITGEIST, and also write for newspapers, and through those two types of media I fight for their well being the only way I can. I live in Novi Sad, where the situation is the same as in Belgrade.

I am not asking you anything from you. Nothing materialistic. But I ask you, based on the documentation that I have emailed you before in French, to please make EVERYONE you can aware, and from whom it depends if Serbia will join the EU, to make them aware of everything you know. And also to the Serbian government on the following email addresses I am writing with regard to the numerous e mails that I personally have had from animal welfare organisations in Serbia relating to animal cruelty there. It comes at a time in which you are declaring that “ the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia in Brussels will consolidate the results achieved so far and advance the Justice and Home Affairs part of the Agreement”.

I wish to inform you of one area in Serbia where there has been and still is a complete lack of action on the part of the Serbian authorities responsible. I ask please that this letter be registered as a Formal Complaint to the EU regarding animal welfare atrocities in Serbia. I request written confirmation of this; thank you.

There have been very many reports circulating in Europe that the Serbian Authorities are not taking the actions that they should to ensure the proper treatment, care and control of animals within Serbia, a country hoping to obtain membership of the EU within the next two years. During 2006 we in the United Kingdom were supplied with many reports of Dogs (Canines) being rounded up, held and finally slaughtered in many Serbian towns/cities. Witnesses from these Serbian welfare organisations were able first hand to document the methods and procedures associated with street animal control by many Serbian authorities which appear to have been contracted to do the killings, and possibly using EU Enlargement monies given by the EU to do this.

Below is a sample of the reports we have obtained from welfare organisations in Serbia:

In one example; a visit to SMEDEREVO was undertaken on Wednesday 27th September. Welfare campaigners noted and witnessed several street Dogs which had been rounded up and were now being kept at the local pound. Many photographs of these dogs were taken, samples of which are provided in this letter for your review. We know that the Garbage collection for the city of Smederevo is undertaken by a public organisation called “KOMUNALAC”; and also that the dogcatchers (Shinters) employed by them are attempting to keep their dog killing secret. We have also obtained documentation showing a Report produced by the Veterinary Inspector of Smederevo as a result of a visit made by welfare campaigners on Friday 29th September. We note from the report that the entire pound was declared empty of dogs. Although we find it very hard to accept and do not consider it to be at all possible, we state that there may be the very un-probable possibility that all of the dogs in the pound were re-homed between Wednesday 27th, the day of the initial visit, and Friday 29th, the date of the veterinary report.

We are 100% certain that all the dogs held in the local pound during the dates detailed were subsequently killed by the local authorities. Despite the welfare organisations having asked the authorities mentioned to provide information of the addresses of the homes to which these dogs were allegedly sent for their re-homing, as it was considered a part of the conclusion to this welfare investigation, no information whatsoever has been provided by the authorities to prove that dogs had been re-homed from the pound in Smederevo.

Further, we have photographs (shown below) taken at the Garbage (rubbish) dump at Smedervo which were taken on 29th September; the exact date when the dogs from the pound were allegedly re-homed by the authorities. We are certain that the dogs shown in these photographs are the same dogs which were held in the pound during this period, and we are reliably informed by local monitors that prior to their killing, the dogs held in the local pound were kept in a very small enclosure, approximately 1.5 metres x 1.5 metres, and which was used as the facility to hold some 30 dogs !.

We understand also that neither food or water was provided to any of the animals during their time at this enclosure pound, a policy which we find to be disgusting. We are led to understand that the killing of the Smedervo dogs during late September 2006 was undertaken by the organisation “JKP Komunalac” , the City Rubbish contractor/organisation, and that a money transfer from the City Budget to the Bank exists to show that payment of the killings undertaken during September exist. Selected photographs from some of the very many we now have on file as evidence of the conditions/disposal processes on the rubbish dump at Smedervo are shown below.

Other towns/cities which we have been provided with similar information to the above incidents include: OVCA /belong to ORCA/– North of Belgrade. We were informed that the veterinary here has destroyed between 6000 and 7,200 dogs. We have very strong concerns that facilities at this town are always made unavailable to the public and that the facility is protected by monitoring cameras on the outside. We have been informed that if anyone who has lost a pet goes to the facility to try and find their dog, they are not allowed in and are asked to give a description of their animal. People are usually shown pictures of dogs in the facility on a monitor but always never end up being re-united with their own animal. They are always informed that their dog is not at the facility.

We suggest that the animals in all cases have been destroyed.

NOVI SAD – North West of Belgrade. Within the garbage collection and handling facility is a collection of iron cages measuring 1 metre square into which dogs are placed. Sometimes the dogcatchers (Shinters) place the dogs they have captured into the cages where they are held until killed; sometimes they are killed immediately after their capture. The dogs are usually killed by the injection of T-61 into their lungs. Once they have been killed, the bodies of the dogs are moved to the garbage dump facility (see photographs above) where their bodies are usually covered by the placement of at least one layer of rubbish in order to hide the killings that have taken place.

PANCEVO – North-East of Belgrade; near to OVCA detailed above. The Public organisation which handles garbage for this region is called “Higijena”, and we have witnessed some twenty (20) building boxes here for the holding of dogs collected in the region. We are informed that dogs should be held for at least seven (7) days but often they are killed in much shorter times, again by the injection of T-61 into their lungs. The chief of the dogcatchers who travel around the region is one Mr. Vladimir Zec, a man who appears to hold a diploma from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) for his ‘Humane’ methods of dog catching and control’. The organisation “Higijena” appear to use this diploma as an alibi for the work which is done on dogs and which is paid for out of the city budge; possibly EU Enlargement money ?. In summary, “Higijena” appear to be using the reputation of an animal welfare organisation (WSPA) as a means for being contracted to kill animals; possibly with money given by the EU !

KULA – Some kilometres out of the city, the Public Veterinary Station has a facility JVS ‘KULA’ into which they place dogs after capture. When between 5 and 15 dogs have been captured, they are killed by the veterinarian. We know from documentation obtained by Serbian welfare organisations that the veterinarian, Mrs. Danijela Kozomora, claims that all of the 686 dogs destroyed during six months in 2006 had been declared as “Healthy”. This completely goes against what is declared by Mrs. Gordana Milosevic-Stojanovic (the Deputy Public Prosecutor of Serbia) who seems to declare that “only dogs with incurable illnesses are destroyed”. Something is very wrong. Under the Freedom of Information legislation which exists in Serbia and with information supplied from Serbian welfare campaigners, we have had access to, and still have photocopies of the documentation of veterinary inspectors reports for every one of the 686 dogs mentioned, and in every single report the destroyed animals are detailed as ‘healthy’ by the veterinarian.

SVILAJNAC – South-East of Belgrade. The Public contractor/organisation which handles garbage for this region is called “Morava”, and here again welfare monitors have witnessed dogs being held for killing (with both T-61 and the use of pitchforks and mallets)in holding cages as shown in the photograph below. One dogcatcher has informed the welfare organisations that he would want them to attempt to stop the killing of the dogs as he can no longer stand the terrible nightmares that he suffers as a result of witnessing dogs being killed with the mallets. We find this method of destroying living and healthy creatures completely unacceptable, regardless of where it happens. We have very strong reservations also about the methods which were employed for the killing of these “Stray Animals”. Sources have informed us that the dogs were killed by a variety of procedures including stabbing with Pitchforks, clubbing to death with mallets; the use of the drug T-61 and also the use of Nuvan, Kreozan-poisons. We would like to make it clear that the use of drug T-61 has NOT been considered an acceptable euthanasia drug in the United States of America since 1988, when it was withdrawn from manufacture, and also not accepted in Canada since 1994.

The American Veterinary Medical Association lists T-61 use as “a method (of killing) which should only be used under specific conditions unlikely to prevail in dog pounds anywhere”. Both T-61 and Kreozan cause death by suffocation. Sources inform us that for humans, overexposure to Nuvan causes acute depression which is evidenced by headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, salivation, blurred vision, tightness in chest, weakness, muscle twitching and confusion. In extreme cases, unconsciousness, convulsions, severe respiratory depression and eventual death may occur.

Thus we ask you sir to please inform us if any Serbian personnel (Shinters) involved with the use of this agent have been made aware through health and safety legislation of its potentially lethal consequences. We know that it is used to kill dogs, it can also kill humans who are unaware of its dangers.

Why are Nuvan, Kreozan and T-61 still being used by authorities to kill dogs in Serbia in September 2006 when they are not being used in other civilised countries such as the USA and Canada ?

Evidence we have obtained via Serbian welfare organisation investigations show the huge numbers of animals that have been killed (destroyed by Euthanasia) over recent years. This evidence is shown in the following figure and is summarised in the accompanying Table. Summary of data shown in the above figure: YEAR CATCH (Dogs and Cats) ANIMALS KILLED ANIMALS BOUGHT ANIMALS IN SHELTER

2002 Dogs: 3032 Cats: 81 Dogs: 2991 Cats: 79 Dogs: 31 Cats: 2 Dogs: 18

2003 Dogs: 2727 Cats: 51 Dogs: 2734 Cats: 51 Dogs: 11 Cats: 0 Dogs: 10 Cats: 0

2004 Dogs: 3185 Cats: 88 Dogs: 3185 Cats: 88 Dogs: 0 Cats: 0 Dogs: 0 Cats: 0

From documentation we have been provided with and which is shown in the following figures, it can be clearly stated that 90% of the Budget money (possibly EU Enlargement donated money ?) allocated for animal welfare issues, for example, to Belgrade, will be spent on the killing of animals, and a mere 10% on the sterilization of homeless animals for the period 1st January to August 2006.

Of 5042 Dogs collected in Belgrade during this period, 4510 were killed and a mere 1389kg of food purchased and supplied for the animals. This data is ‘Official’ figures from a report by the Director of JVS “Belgrade” – Ovãa, the facility where the dogs are collected and then killed.

We understand from Serbian animal welfare organisations that we have corresponded on this issue with, that the Serbian authorities have been asked to stop the killings, to undertake sterilization of captured animals and to provide the same with marker ‘idents’ to show that they have been sterilized and thus should not be killed. We have been informed that the authorities have shown no interest in the requests of the welfare organisations and only wish to continue with a policy of killing.

 We are hearing that at the moment animals which have been sterilised and provided with an ident are still being rounded up and destroyed – this is completely unacceptable ! Despite the new Serbian laws associated with Veterinary care: Veterinary Legislation, Article 46 refers, valid from 2nd November 2005, and which requires care for homeless dogs and cats, as well as the new Serbian Criminal Code: Article 269 Paragraph 2 of the which provides punishment of up to three years imprisonment for anyone who inflicts cruelty or killing on animals, we know that despite charges in the International Courts in Strasbourg – Case Number 1052/07 being brought by welfare organisations, the Public Attorney General of Serbia does nothing to conform with the requirements of the law and undertake their responsibilities.

Meetings between welfare organizations and the Public Attorney General of Serbia on 13th April and 14th August 2006 resulted in nothing being done to provide better protection for the street dogs and cats of Serbia.

For this reason now we are considering that the welfare organizations of Serbia should have our support to bring Criminal charges to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, because in summary, Serbian authorities are not complying with Serbian legislation and thus should be prosecuted for not doing so.

It should be made very clear that we know only two animal welfare organisations have to date attempted to bring criminal charges against the mass killing of animals. Sources have informed us that these organisations themselves have now come under attack from the Serbian authorities who seem intent on ultimately destroying these (animal welfare) organisations.

The aim of the authorities; which will never happen before the issue goes to court, appears to be to prevent the animal welfare organisations from ever being able to do further welfare work in Serbia. We understand that Mayors from some towns and cities are attempting to bring criminal charges against the welfare organisations mentioned above. Welfare organisations named “Subotica”, in Subotica, and “Durdevo” in Zrenjanin,”ORCA” in Belgrade, appear to be giving their support to the policy of the “New Strategy” which involves the mass killing of animals.

It is our knowledge that by having this ‘support’ of certain welfare organisations, many of the Serbian authorities are able to undertake their mass killings because they are appearing to declare that the killings have the approval of the welfare organisations.

The Public firm “Higijena” from Pancevo has a representative named Mr. Vladimir Zec, who travels by car all over Serbia collecting dogs and returning them to Pancevo for mass killing. Despite current laws on Veterinary and Criminal codes as given above, we know that at least four (4) employees of “Higijena” have in very recent times been operating in regions including Svilajnacs; –

Serbia does not treat its animals well despite the fantastic efforts and work undertaken by Serbian animal welfare organisations.

Thank you for your time and review of our dossier on this very important issue.

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