At the session in BiH Parliament yesterday the House of Representatives voted in the new amendments to the Animal Welfare Act. 20 voted yes, 14 no, 7 sustained.

BiH legislation process is one of the most complex in the world. I don’t understand it fully but, this is the gist:

The changes to the Animal Welfare Act were voted through yesterday by the BiH House of Representatives, BUT the changes now have to be supported by members of the House of Peoples, and will go through a similar process that they went through with the House of Representatives before they can be officially legislated – there is a first and second reading, and an ‘amendments’ phase. The House of People have fewer delegates than the House of Representatives, and the legislation process has more issues, but there are the same phases.

So: there are two more voting procedures and only if the amendments pass both times will they will become officially legislated.

I have teen told that it’s usual that the House of Peoples supports whatever MPs already agreed about and voted for in the House of Representatives, but we must not give up hope.

If the law is legislated, then there are further processes and issues: “Harmonization” is last part of the process. If the amendments are legislated in both Houses, then they need to be ‘harmonised’. Again I’m not sure of the specifics of this, but one activist has told me that if the law is legislated it will end up in the constitutional court since the currently proposed amendments have many contradictions – the whole law will have to be reworked and harmonized with itself because it “really looks abominable in the amended form.”

To sum up: the picture is unclear and there is still possibility for the amendments to be voted against or changed.

It is unlikely but……

Please keep writing to your MEPs, Embassies, media etc. All information is in the related posts listed below. If there is anything further we can do I will keep you updated.  The situation in BiH has been bad for so long, including numerous and continued transgressions of the Animal Welfare Act. We just have to keep at it, keep uncovering illegalities and keep campaigning.

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As stated in other posts, the activists need our support with donations to help them in the next days to campaign. Even if the law goes through, there is much they can do: all shelters need to be closely monitored to try to ensure that any ‘euthanisation’ as required by these proposed amendments is humane and that all other aspects of the Animal Welfare Law are implemented. Any amount will help, no matter how small.

Activists in BiH are doing their best to campaign against these amendments and to educate everyone in their country to the truth of what is happening.

Please sign and share the petitions!

RELATED POSTS ON THIS BLOG:

• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP, PART SIX
• Anti-Kill Law: Latest News
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP, PART FIVE
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP, PART FOUR
• Anti-Kill Law: Latest News
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP, PART THREE
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP, PART TWO
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT – HOW TO HELP
• ANTI KILL-LAW FIGHT CONTINUES
• EUROPE! FOLLOW ITALY’S EXAMPLE!
• KILL-LAW DEBATE IN BOSNIA
• BOSNIA ABOUT TO IMPLEMENT KILL LAW!
• THE HORROR SHELTERS OF BOSNIA – SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!
• Bosnia Killing Dogs – No Different to Romania!
• BOSNIA! IMPLEMENT HUMANE STRAY-DOG AND CAT POPULATION CONTROL AND TREATMENT
• Dog Shelters in Bosnia: A Complex Situation
• Horror Camps for Animals in Bosnia
• Concentration Camp for Man’s Best Friend
• Concentration Camp for Man’s Best Friend PART TWO
• Mass Graves Found Near Dog “Shelter”

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DONATIONS
Funds are needed not only to help individual rescues and to help us keep safe the rescued dogs we are sponsoring but also to continue our advocacy work in Bosnia, uncovering the truth about what is happening there.

On our sister site, Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia, you can set up a monthly donation via PayPal, or if you want to make a one-off donation, please go to your PayPal account (or set one up, it’s very easy) and send the money to: donations@awabosnia.org . Click on the image below to be taken to PayPal’s home page.

Or if you want to use the customised PayPal form, click the link below. However, a transaction fee and a percentage (2- 5.4%) will be deducted by PayPal for any contribution made.

If you want your contribution to go to a specific dog or cause, please make a note in the PayPal comment box. If you wish to contribute via bank transfer or have other difficulties or questions, please go here.

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This site is dedicated to Vučko. Read his story and don’t let him have suffered and died in vain. Please help the stray dogs and cats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The situation there is utterly dire, Vučko is but one amongst many horrifically abused animals. Go here to find out how to help them.  Money is needed for food, medicine and foster housing. Even just one dollar or one euro will help.