A volunteer for the Association “0” – for protection, rescue and care of animals from Glamoc in western Bosnia Herzegovina (“Udruga za zaštitu, spašavanje i zbrinjavanje HBŽ “O” ), contacted us this week because media in her country are doing nothing to publicise the ongoing poisoning of dogs and cats in the area. Today, however there have been posts online at Taco.net: 40 poisoned dogs in the streets Glamoc and RadioSarajevo.ba.
In the last two weeks the association has found 40 dead stray dogs and more than 10 cats. All these animals were killed because of a poison being deliberately thrown on the streets of Glamoc – a very painful death. Some veterinarians believe that poison for rats has been used, or calcium cyanide. Two more dead dogs were found today, bringing the total to 42 dead dogs.
“The autopsy showed petechial and gastric mucosa haemorrhages from the contents of the stomach, such as ground beef; bleeding profusely from the clotted blood in the heart and lungs, bleeding from the mouth and bleeding from the eyes.”
This situation was reported to the police and to the veterinary inspector and the association is waiting for the perpetrator to be found. In effect there are two crimes committed: torture and killing animals as well as causing general danger to people. However it seems that the police investigation is going very slowly. In addition, analysing what kind of poison is being used might be impossible due to lack of sufficient and capable laboratories in the country, and the Association “0” still does not know if the sample has in fact, been sent for analysis. “It is very likely that we will not be able to find out what exactly the poison is, because the Department of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine in Sarajevo for 6 months now cannot make any toxicological tests due to device failure, while the Veterinary Faculty in Banja Luka does not do toxicological research.”
Local citizens were shocked at these poisonings – there are virtually no recorded instances of dog bites in the area – most of the dogs were sterilised and without aggression towards people. Children watched the dogs to die in agony. The danger to these children and others is huge, given that a lethal poison has been spread on public streets. Dog owners and livestock owners are additionally concerned because they do not know the exact location where the poison has been thrown.
Volunteers from the Association “0” say: “We have to look at the proposed amendments to the Animal Welfare Act that are still in parliamentary procedure because these amendments encourage this kind of murder of dogs.”
The volunteer told me: “We are trying to inform all medias in our country about this horror, but most of them are not interested and they just ignore us. We must do everything in our power how this crime will never be forgotten. if you can do anything and if you’re interested for helping us on this, please do it, because we are desperate…”
Please share this blog so the world knows what is happening in Bosnia Herzegovina.
Also if you wish to make a donation to assist the association in Glamoc in their animal welfare work, please do so via the links below, clearly marking your donation for ‘Association “O”‘.
Regarding the proposed amendments to the BiH Animal Welfare Laws: the session of the House of Peoples has still not been scheduled. This is the session which would be the next stage of voting on the amendments. There will be a Joint Collegium of both houses meeting on 25th February (Speakers and deputy speakers) and after this we shall know more. There is concern that momentum against the amendments is being lost. If there is anything we can do, I will let you know. In the meantime, if you want to help 19 rescues get out of Bosnia Herzegovina to homes in the UK and Europe, please don’t forget our Be Their Hero campaign.
AND THIS FRIDAY, 21 February 2014, please join the protest in London:
BOSNIAN EMBASSY 5-7 LEXHAM GARDENS LONDON W8 5JJ .
NEAREST TUBE – GLOUCESTER ROAD
13:00 – 15:00
Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/589755974440140/
Related Posts
Puppy burned alive in Bosnia Herzegovina!
Mass Murder of Dogs in Bosnia Herzegovina
Dog Massacre in Dobosnica, Bosnia Herzegovina
Mass Poisoning of Dogs in Bugojno, Bosnia
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DONATIONS
Funds are needed not only to help individual rescues but also to continue our advocacy work in Bosnia Herzegovina, 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.
IN MEMORY OF VUČKO 
Dear Sandra…I am quite admiring of what you do and I happily support your work, but this makes me very angry and in light of that, I’d like to pose to you a pointed, if somewhat politically incorrect question: What the Hell is wrong with Bosnia-Hercegovinia?…Why are their people so cruel to animals?.
On the off chance that you might think me a “Balkan bigot” of sorts, I must tell you that I am of half-Croatian decent myself, and have visited the country many times, but my contacts there tell me – and I believe you referenced this yourself the other day — that Croatia has real laws against animal abuse, so I can’t help but wonder why their neighbors to the east lack them?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Arlene Martinolich Kelly
Arlene I think there are no simple answers to your question unfortunately. As I think you know there have been huge protests against the Bih government recently. The situation for people is terrible – unemployment, impoverishment (“Two elderly people held a banner noting that one politician’s monthly salary equals four years of the average pension payment.”…) corruption in government is rife.
(See the following articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/world/europe/roots-of-bosnian-protests-lie-in-peace-accords-of-1995.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/bosnia-angry-protesters-want-new-govt-of-experts/2014/02/10/2cb2d074-925a-11e3-b3f7-f5107432ca45_story.html)
None of this is an excuse for animal cruelty of course but I think we have to take it into account: if you are born into a society where there is no hope for you to make a real life for yourself, where everything is a struggle, where perhaps you find out it’s possible to make money by being paid (by officials) to catch and kill dogs…. and other awful things….; where as a young child you see such cruelty towards animals as being ‘normal’… something in society becomes diseased. Not to mention the horrific wars — for so many years; and a cultural lack of understanding or experience of dogs and animals as being sentient, intelligent beings….
I think projects that target education and show the people of Bih that dogs can actually do extraordinary, life-saving activities have the only possibility of long term change – (see for example this initiative by Sarah Greenwood)… IF there is also a change within the government so the day-to-day life of the ordinary person is improved. We can only try not to give up hope and to keep campaigning.
Arlene,
Sadly, these are barbaric people who have no heart or soul! If they don’t make changes in the near future for their people and the animals, they will suffer in Hell for eternity! I truly believe this but pray for them to change their cruel ways! Maybe, they will be given a second chance when they see the wrong in their ways!
We pray so very hard for the impoverished people of this region as well as the homeless animals, suffering and dying at the hands of horrible people! We do send a monthly donation to AWA Bosnia, really just a small token toward what they are up against in this country! We so wish we could scoop up all the homeless animals left and bring them to the USA where they could be adopted into loving homes! Shame on the Government for leaving its people in a dire and sad situation and allowing these animals to be tortured and killed needlessly!! You all need to be booted out with replacements who have compassion and respect for human beings and animals! Your day will come, and Heaven is not part of your futures! God Bless all your people and the animals who are at your lack of any mercy!
Reblogged this on Wolf Is My Soul.