Bosnia: Let’s Respect Animals and their Right to Life

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

The following is a translation of an interview with Snezana Vidovic, President of the association animal rescue and protection, Sapa Zenica. The interview was published on Taco.net on 4.10.2014, and the interviewer was Jelena Paunovic from Journalists For Animals.

Snezana Vidovic: Let’s respect animals and their right to life

The entire world marks April 4^th as the World Stray Animals Day. Five years after the Animal Protection and Welfare law came into effect, the situation for stray and uncared for animals on the streets of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains difficult. We spoke to Snezana Vidovic, President of the association for protection and animal rescue “SAPA Zenica” from Zenica, regarding the law, solutions to this problem, and the role of organizations in protecting animals.

Interview by: Jelena Paunovic

Today is October 4^th, the World Animal Day. How do you view this date?

In celebration of the World Animal Day, the Association SAPA Zenica has for many years organized events, information stands, educational materials, sterilization weekends, film projections, workshops for children with an aim to help the general public, our fellow citizens to understand animal protection, to help them think about our relationships with animals and the need to respect and protect them, and to underline the idea that animal protection is an important social question. During these days we are reminding the public of the role of animals in our society, the way they are enriching and improving our lives, and how to treat them and to become a responsible society.

More than ever, it is important for us to be loud, united, and visible in the battle for those for whom we are the only voice.

October 4^th is not a day of celebration, but for fighting and sending a clear message to a society that is tolerant of animal violence, abandonment, abuse, breaking laws, mistreatment of animals for various purposes as well as their slaughter; this is our daily reality for which we must be held responsible.

Every day we hear about how the Animal Protection and Welfare Law of BiH is not good and that it must be changed. Is that true? Would changes to the law lead to solutions?

Strays fed by SAPA Zenica volunteers

Unfortunately, we are witnesses to the conversations about the Law for five years, and those in power are either not implementing it or partially implementing it. For five years the attempt to adopt sub-regulations regarding identification of pets has been obstructed; for five years no one has been fined for abandoning their pets (we have the highest rate of pet abandonment in Europe), for five years no one has been fined for animal abuse; for five years there has not been a systematic approach to sterilization across BiH, for five years the inspection authorities across BiH have failed to conduct inspections and oversight of shelters, which are in fact torture camps for animals that exist under dubious and even criminal conditions and hygienic services operating outside of the law and subordinate regulations; for five years BiH has lacked a central registry of pet that will lead to EU sanctions; for five years BiH has lacked an Ethic Committee and Advisory Council; for five years the majority of counties in the country have not implemented sterilization programs, built shelters, or establishing hygienic services; for five years no one was sanctioned for obstructing the implementation of the law; and for five years the authorities have been telling us that they cannot implement the law without offering a single reasonable explanation, but we conclude that these reasons are incompetence, inaction, ignorance, and unwillingness to eliminate practices that have failed for decades. Responsible societies do not debate whether or not to implement the law; responsible societies execute adopted regulations and seek solutions for problems which they created.

Here, the authorities allow problems to escalate; they contribute to public polarization and instigate the media propaganda machine to support an ad hoc method of slaughter, elimination, and removal of animals five years after failing to implement the law because now they see this as preventative measure under the guise of public security. There is not a word about causes, not a word about why the law was not implemented for five years, and not a word about their accountability. In the election period, the multiyear inactivity and incompetence is now being packaged as simulated action in response to the growing public pressure.

SAPA Zenica volunteers feeding strays

The campaign against the law demonstrates the immaturity of BiH society and the unwillingness of the authorities and the relevant profession to accept responsibility for resolving the problem that was created by our own society. This law doesn’t only address the dogs on the streets, but many other segments that need to be addressed and are being ignored such as transport, farming conditions, welfare, cultivation, protection of wildlife, laboratory animals, establishment of an Ethic Committee and other similar matters.

This law has demonstrated to us the pitiful state of the veterinary field and just the number of veterinarians and veterinary inspectors who are unable to understand their role in implementing the law or understanding the trends in the areas of animal protection and welfare. We still have veterinarians who are advising pet owners against sterilization, inspectors who do not understand the processes of animal registry or the use of microchipping, or who has oversight over certain parts of the law and relevant regulations. The state of the veterinary profession across BiH and its continuing murder of street dogs is as if they have never heard of the law or their oversight responsibilities, and places it in the light as simply the agent of politically-motivated and illegal decisions, or in a role of a silent observer.

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

Every law can be changed, however we will never resolve the problem if we seek to change it in the way that it only represents the view of one political party, in a selective way that does not contribute to the solution, only creating further confusion and raising legal insecurity, and completely absolving the years-long inactivity of those responsible; keeping parts of the law considered to be unenforceable and adding responsibilities that are not preventative in nature, obstructing adoption of animals, not highlighting preventative measures and resolving the causes of the problem, hiding behind unenforceable and expensive laws and forgetting to explain to the electorate that the problem will not be resolved and it will be the same as before 2009, year after year just adding more resources for the purposes of killing. Here we are talking about the difference between the implementation of preventative measures in their entirety, which would bring about the solution in half the time that it would take to continue to consistently give resources for killing. This means that preventative measures could not be undertaken because of the cost, but funds for killing will be available year after year because no one has informed the public that there will be dogs on the streets for as long as there are bad owners, illegal breeders, incompetent inspectors, veterinarians, authorities; but that is not important, it is easier to kill than to truly address the root cause of the problem, it is easier to kill than to build a system and establish a foundation for implementing a punishment system which would help sustain the state budget.

Who is responsible for the condition of abandoned animals on the streets of BiH cities?

Those who have for five years been startled by the law and who for five years have been talking about how the pre-conditions have not been met, so they continued to NOT meet those conditions for the next five years. Those who for five years have not moved their finger to institute a registry, punish and discourage animal abandonment; those who did not implement sterilization, those whose contributions have escalated the problem, and who are now trying to flip the script and shift the focus away from their inactivity and irresponsibility to the dogs on the streets. Solving the problem does not mean removing, eliminating, and killing dogs. But this is not in accordance with the populist rhetoric which we are exposed to every day from other residents and dogs will remain on the streets for as long as the systematic solution does not entail a consolidated approach to registration, punishment, sterilization of pets and abandoned animals, establishment of shelters, as well as creating conditions to enable a functioning system.

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

Encouraging ad hoc illegal solutions, or changes to the law similar to those from last year do not contribute to building of a system of good practices, eliminating the problem, and improving the standard of the veterinary profession, but it misleads all of those interested. Only through the full implementation of the existing law and with focus on preventative measures can we solve this problem.

Seven years of continual killing has barely reduced the number of street dogs by 32.5 percent, while five years of implementing preventative measures of sterilization and preventing new generations of abandoned animals would lead to a 95 percent reduction in the abandoned animal population.

But here no one is conducting an analysis of the absorption capacity of one region, or an analysis of the structure of street dogs and all contributing factors to the population growth, including the mentality, behavior of pet ownership and similar things. It is critical to consider this problem from the sociological and phenomenological points of view.

What are your views on the situation in Sarajevo?

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

What we are witnessing in Sarajevo is that the beginning of the political campaign has opened a hunting season on the dogs, a typical witch hunt, anarchy, fragmentation, and the most blatant breaking of the law thus far, for which we hope those responsible will be held responsible on all level of the state judiciary.

“Either a legal state or a Sarajevo without dogs” is the most shameful political trick and pre-election promise which has provided the hygienic services permission to indiscriminately catch dogs, take them to an unknown location or obscure locations in the vicinity of Sarajevo like concentration camps to which the dogs may or may not be brought to. Inspectors are silent and watching, criminal charges are mounting and will be processed sooner or later, and Sarajevo is filling newspaper articles about how it has become the city in which animals are being slaughtered.

Everything that we are seeing as part of the pre-election campaign will have repercussions in the field and will destroy the small chance we have to bring back trust in the system and the profession, while it will not lead to the solution of the problem.

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

Someone will have to provide answers to the questions regarding the dogs, such as from which locations they were taken, who ordered it, were they sterilized or not, where are female dogs with puppies disappearing to, what is the number of euthanized dogs and where are their bodies located? Very soon someone will have to answer for these actions and provide answers to these questions.

It is critical to establish a system and a centralized method to humanely control the population of stray dogs in Canton Sarajevo, but these actions are not building a system or creating trust in it. This is not the way to implement the law, especially Article 14 of the law which is being misused. The law must be implemented in its entirety and with the intent to prevent the cause of the problem through oversight and monetary fines.

Instead of building a system and a tolerant society, the agitators are calling for the spread of fear and hatred, misunderstanding, and are joined by educators who are purposely supported by the teacher’s union. Dogs are always present, visible, an easy target to take away the focus off of other burning election and nonelection related topics. The question is for how long the electorate will be vulnerable to the same trickery. At the same time I am not denying that the problem exists, but I am pointing out that this is not the way to solve the problem. This is not a question of love, but the question of choice between good and bad practice with the full understanding that residents expect a magical solution to a city without dogs; this problem cannot be solved overnight but gradually, especially because some residents are contributing to the problem. All of the other promises are insincere and are just another lie fed to the public. The easier way is not the right way. Everything that is occurring in Sarajevo today and across other cities in BiH is at the cost of animal lives while the authorities remain silent, which makes it a criminal activity.

Studies across the world have shown that the catch-sterilize-release method is the most efficient in terms of animal population control. Why has that method failed to produce results in BiH?

Catch-sterilize-release method is the most effective way of controlling population in mid and long term. But, like any other method, it cannot bring about a solution if it’s conducted in isolation; it must work hand in hand with registration of all pets, fines for abandonment of pets, education in terms of responsible pet ownership, sterilization of pet and promotion of pet adoption. In a situation where you are conducting sterilization of the current generation of abandoned animals while you are receiving new generations of abandoned pets or stray dogs, or those that are migrating from other regions, you will not see a positive drop in the population; in this case, the best case scenario would be population stagnation. You cannot expect to conduct sterilization in just a few cities across BiH and achieve success. It is critical to have a systematic and continuous approach, and for years we have been fighting for a country-level strategy for implementation of catch-sterilize-release program. I am sure that a program like this would offer BiH support from big international organizations, even resources from IPA funds because a project like this would also mandate rabies vaccinations for all dogs. Moreover, continuity is critical for sterilization efforts to be effective; recommendations from all global authorities on the matter state that sterilization must be conducted in a way that would encompass as large of a population in the shortest time possible in order to ensure that while you are working on one generation, you are not absorbing a new generation due to the prolonged duration of the project. So, continuity, a comprehensive approach, and focus are needed.

One dog removed from the street is replaced by another one; that has been empirically and scientifically proven.

After seven years of continuous killings, the dog population on the streets has been reduced by nearly 32.5 percent. While after 5 years of implementing preventative measure such as sterilization to impede new generations reduced the number of abandoned animals by 95 percent. The calculation is clear, exact, and unequivocal.

The media has reported that a shelter for abandoned animals is under construction. The cost of the project is 250,000 KM, while the capacity of the shelter will be 60 dogs. Do you think it is critical to invest that amount of funds? And, do you think that the shelter will resolve the problem?

There is a general misunderstanding of the purpose and function of animal shelters. Shelters are not the only measure for resolving the problem of stray dogs, but they are needed as one of the critical pieces in controlling the population of abandoned animals; besides, opening shelters is mandated by law. Good shelters are built in accordance with professional standards and conditions directed by law and relevant acts. What’s more important is that the shelter is managed properly and in accordance with standard operating procedures and practices. The better the shelter and the management are, the better is the security of the animals, their health (less risk of diseases spreading), and less cost for veterinary costs. A shelter in which animals are taken care of and have regular veterinary care and food, and where the hygiene standard is maintained, have a much greater chances for taking steps to being adopted or something similar. You must invest money is certain projects in order to receive a return on investment. I cannot state an opinion at this moment as we are talking about an incomplete project in Zenica, but we are as always available to help with education, implementing good practices, and developing guides, instructions, and similar.

Shelters are necessary in order to remove certain animals from the street, such as those that may have behavioral issues and require monitoring and socialization, or those in need of veterinary care, or those that are candidates for adoption, including puppies or small dogs that have difficulties surviving on the streets. Function of shelters and their purpose is not to accumulate large numbers of animals in one place while the cost grows. We will never be able to remove all dogs from the streets and that is not even the purpose of shelters. Their function is to help us remove those that can no longer survive on the streets and for the purposes of adopting them. Shelters are not waiting rooms for death or a gathering places for animals waiting in line to be euthanized. Shelters should not be like the modern Alcatraz, but should be places that have an open door policy, transparency, are responsible and have a work ethic, and are places that you want to visit to adopt a dog. In the meantime, catch-sterilize-release projects as well as registration of pet owners and breeders must take place precisely because they are financially sustainable and will deter animal abandonment. This is the only way forward in addition to education, changing minds and bad habits of animal ownership, elevating standards of the veterinary profession and education of veterinarians, controlling waste and the environment in order to produce mid-term results; therefore, consolidate all known preventative measures.

The problem of abandoned dogs must be analyzed through phenomenological sociology, and provide an overview of all causes, including people’s habits, structure of animal owners, structure of animal owners by gender, age, sterilization, the method of homing dogs (house or on the chain), motives behind having pets, etc. For example, an analysis of 100 abandoned dogs demonstrated that 80 percent of full bred and mixed dogs had familiar owners and are dogs that are young or old sick dogs. We must educate pet owners, change culture of pet ownerships, and our relationships with animals. That is a process and all citizens must participate, including pet owners, nongovernmental organizations, and veterinarians. Unfortunately, the veterinary profession has not responded to this problem in a responsible and ethical way.

In your opinion, are we being manipulated by information on dog biting?

Information on dog biting is definitely being manipulated both from the statistical and political point of view for purposes of scaring the public, hiding the authorities’ incompetence to solve the problem, and demonstrating that the problem is unsolvable and using this to take attention away from other problems or causes of this problem.

It’s almost as if a part of the public and the political elite actually likes it when a dog bites a person because they can use that to justify a witch hunt against dogs, which crosses into the domain of psychopathology. We see this daily and it constantly forces us to deal with the consequences and not the cause for having so many dogs on the streets.

Statistics regarding dog bites and attacks are often used to justify public fears and an unjustified hysteria that has been coming and going for years now. These fears are allowed to escalate and when that happens all reasonable solutions appears impossible, which the acclaimed journalist, Ozren Kebo, best described in a recent article for Gracija, and then everyone skillfully hides behind that “impossibility” to solve the problem and instead calls for ad hoc “solutions” known as mass slaughter. At the same time no one is held accountable for the fact that the law has not been implemented for 5 years and that the problem escalated, but who is allowing it to escalate and who is preventing the implementation of prevention measures mandated by law is unclear and questionless. No, because it is easier to kill under the guise of public safety than to implement the law and preventative measures, develop a system, regain trust in the system and the profession, register pets, and punish irresponsible pet owners which also generate state funds. But that would require for someone to do their job, but that is obviously impossible or difficult because to start someone would need to tell our citizens the truth that there will always be stray dogs as long as there are irresponsible owners, illegal breeders, incompetent veterinarians, inspectors who ignore their work, and that the problem which has been created over decades in best case scenario can be resolved in a few years, and not just during the month of election campaigning.

A good number of dog bites can be attributed to owned dogs, and we are hardly ever provided an analysis of the situation that led to the dog attack or if a certain number of attacks is initiated by the same group of dogs. That type of analysis is critical to resolving the problem responsibly and to exclusively removing dogs that are shown to have unstable behavior.

You are the leader of Association “SAPA Zencia.” Since 2009, you have conducted 23,000 interventions in the field, you have adopted 700 dogs, you lead education campaigns, serve as an informal information center, and you have conducted 2000 cases of catch-sterilize-release. Who did you manage to accomplish all of that? Does the Zenica County provide financial support for that work?

Association SAPA Zenica is a small team of hardworking, loyal, dedicated and motivated volunteers, which since 2009 have unselfishly fought by giving our time, love, money, and working in very hostile environments and being exposed to attacks, insults, and threats as well as being vilified. Surviving in that environment and preserving our Association as a public service in the framework of animal rights and a partner to other stakeholders is absolutely an achievement. To resist all attacks, challenges, attempts to divide us, and to preserve a unified front in Zenica, a city that may have the highest number of stray dogs within its and surrounding counties, is something that we are very proud of. SAPA is characterized by big internal strength and unity, its ability to see the big picture, and a sense of responsibility that we have accepted as a group of volunteers; it’s our wish to survive and contribute to the society in terms of resolving the problem connected to animals and to change consciousness and to show that we can and we should be recognized by the authorities as a strong partner working from the place of understanding, knowledge, and experience. It is hard to survive because there are many challenges and the public refuses to understand the causes of the problem and look at the big picture; instead they view the problem selectively, call for ad hoc solutions and it is very difficult to convince the public that we cannot resolve this problem overnight especially if we are not doing any prevention and dealing with the causes of that problem. It’s hard because the moment when you choose to be a volunteer in our society, there is an effort to destroy you instead of supporting you, and you are vilified and accused of being the reason for the existence of stray dogs because if you were not there, the dogs would be cold-bloodedly killed; and we just keep going in circles without holding accountable those who are truly responsible and going forth bravely by admitting that the only solution is to have prevention and implement consolidated measures. The majority of people hate you, accuse you but also have demands because they are confusing oversight and responsibility and not understanding that you as a volunteer wish to be there even if there are limits to the possibilities. Association Sapa Zenica has always known what it wants, we have a vision and a wish to do this volunteer work for the rest of our lives because animal protection is not a hobby to fill free time when you have nothing better to do, as some see it, but it is a way of life.

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

To answer your other question, Zenica County does not finance the work of the Association Sapa Zenica. Our work and activities are financed by our members and sympathizers, and it includes the cost of animal health, number of procedures, shelter fees, food, medicine, sterilization projects and other logistical costs, education materials and similar things. Some of our sterilization projects have been financed by international organizations which covered the cost of some logistics and veterinarian fees. Zenica County does provide partial financial resources for sterilization project up until 2013, which fulfilled some of its law mandated responsibilities in implementing Article 43 of the Animal Protection and welfare Law to provide medicine and materials for conducting sterilization and providing vaccinations. The Zenica County provided financial resources in 2010 and 2012 to a veterinary facility to promote animal health, for which we are grateful, and it covered 20 percent of the needs and costs just in Zenica; this didn’t include the cost associated with transporting animals from Zenica to Sarajevo for operations and diagnostic procedures.

Recently rescued from the streets by SAPA Zenica volunteers

Without outside help, Association SAPA has financed all of its logistics since 2009 with the help of its members. These project-related costs include transportation for catching and returning animals, food, hygienic equipment, some medicine, diapers and similar things. For years we have covered our own costs of rescuing in Zenica, and a number of other operational costs. We have a growing number of wounded and sick animals, growing needs and we need help. [To help SAPA Zenica, please see the end of the article]

Do you collaborate with international organizations for protection and welfare of dogs?

Association SAPA Zenica works with a number of organizations in BiH and outside of the country on education, pet adoption, sterilization projects, exchange of knowledge and experiences. Every day we are learning.

Ms. Vidovic, do you have a pet?

I have two girl dogs, Tyru and Suska. Both were adopted from the streets and that happened during my son’s first year. Tyra is with us since 2010 and she was saved as a baby with a difficult injury to her hip and legs. Suska was adopted from the street as a puppy as well in 2011 when she was about three months old; we found her in a state of hunger and with a difficult skin condition which was successfully treated. They are truly members of our family and are daily enriching our lives; they remind us that animals are a blessing. We are surrounded by prejudice, and with a lack of knowledge people sink into delusion; they think that if you have a child, you cannot have a dog, or two dogs. Everything can be done without problems and stress, it just requires a little good will and open hearts and mind, and children who grow up with animals are shown to be better, more empathetic and responsible people. We have indescribable luck to have Tyra and Suska in our lives. To all people thinking about getting a pet, I recommend that you adopt an abandoned animal and not to buy animals, but to open their doors to street dogs and cat, and they just might be waiting for you. Their affection and love are our biggest gift.

Message for the end

Let’s respect animals and their right to life. Let’s not allow to have other create fears and hatred in us. Let’s not sink into delusion and allow others to manipulate us. Let’s open our hearts and mind for others and those different than us and understand that we are not the only ones on the planet, ruling over life and death.

Rescued from the streets of Zenica

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Many of the photographs in this blog were taken during a recent visit to meet the volunteers of SAPA Zenica and the dogs they help. If you wish to support SAPA Zenica in their work in Bosnia Herzegovina, donations can be made via bank transfer to:

UniCredit Bank d.d.
SWIFT: UNCRBA22
Address of the bank: Kardinala Stepinca b.b. Mostar
Details of beneficiary:
IBAN CODE: BA393385804819527135
Full beneficiary’s name: Udruzenje za spasavanje i zastitu zovotinja SAPA Zenica
Full beneficiaries address: Fra Grge Martica 15

Or you can make a donation via Paypal to AWABosnia (details below), but please be sure to mark your donation for ‘SAPA Zenica’.

For more information about SAPA Zenica, please email: sapa.zenica@gmail.com

Petitions:

BOSNIA! IMPLEMENT HUMANE STRAY-DOG AND CAT POPULATION CONTROL AND TREATMENT
Stop massive killing of dogs in Sarajevo
Petition to save Bosnia’s stray dogs! Please sign!
Also see the petitions on the Petitions page.

Related articles in this blog:

Veterinary Office of Bosnia: is it possible to solve the problem of stray dog?
The “Aggressive” Dogs of Sarajevo
The Campaign Begins With a Slaughter: You will kill the dogs, but what will you do with the beasts?
Stray Dogs of Sarajevo to be Killed in Election Ploy
Stop the Killing of Strays in Sarajevo
Bosnia: Sarajevo set to become the next Bucharest
BOSNIA: kill and slaughter until the dog is no more…
Bosnia Killing Dogs – No Different to Romania!

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DONATIONS

Funds are needed to help individual rescues, for spay-neuter projects, for education also to continue advocacy work in Bosnia, uncovering the truth about what is happening there.

Donations are managed by AWABosnia, an independent group of animal advocates. On their website, 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 as a ‘gift’. 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 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. Even just one dollar or one euro will help make a difference.

Veterinary Office of Bosnia: is it possible to solve the problem of stray dogs?

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

Gladno Polje ‘Shelter’ in Sarajevo, BiH

The following is a translation of an interview with Inga Dujmovic, Senior Associate of the State Veterinary Inspector for animal welfare in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Interview with Inga Dujmovic: Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has jurisdiction but so far we have not undertaken inspections of dog shelters
Published on the BiH media portal Taco.net 04/10/2014
Author: Predrag Blagovčanin

State law on the protection and welfare of animals was passed in 2009. This law clearly defined the solution to the problem of abandoned street dogs and a series of subordinate regulations were adopted which fully encompassed the protection of animals in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We spoke with Inga Dujmovic, State Veterinary Inspector for control of animal welfare regarding the lack of implementation of the law for years, the work and jurisdiction of the Veterinary Office of BiH, the problem of stray dogs, and a number of other issues.

Interview By: Predrag Blagovcanin

Are you satisfied with the work of the federal, canton or county authorities as well as the work of RS Inspectors regarding the fulfillment of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law?

Regarding that question I can speak about an incomplete implementation of Act 38 of the law which obligates inspection authorities to document their oversight and report inspection results and measures taken for protection and welfare of animals to the Veterinary Office of BiH. We have received a very small number of reports in 2009 and 2010. Veterinary Office of BiH believes that the inspection authorities are conducting their jobs to the best possible extent and maybe there are specific sanctions issued due to violations of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, but the Veterinary Office of BiH is not familiar with any such enforcements issued by the inspection authorities although by law we should be informed.

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

Why is the Veterinary Office of BiH unfamiliar with enforcement and work of inspection authorities?

Because we are not receiving the law mandated reports from the inspection authorities.

A significant amount of work is conducted by the Federal Administration for Inspection; however, those reports are cumulative from all of their oversight. Unless it is explicitly indicated, it is impossible to determine if the inspection was conducted in relation to animal welfare. Based on the provided reports, we are unable to see how many inspections are conducted under this law.

In May 2013, Council of Ministers of BiH adopted information regarding the implementation of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law composed by the Veterinary Office of BiH. Thereafter, all counties were mandated to issue summonses to dog owners to register their pets through local community councils. I am interested in finding out if that was accomplished and what is the general problem with the central registry?

As far as I am aware, that was only conducted by the Novo Sarajevo County. I am unsure about the remaining counties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The terms for establishing a registry for the entire BiH are contingent on the existence of the protocol for identification of dogs and cats. That protocol is still in the proceedings stage. Hence, we are awaiting the recommendations of the entity ministries in order to move it forward to the Council of Ministries.

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

What is your opinion regarding the unconstitutionality of the 2008 Animal Protection and Welfare Law of Republika Srpska and its inconsistency with the State law?

The question regarding constitutionality can only be considered by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina if a hearing is initiated. In terms of inconsistencies, and considering the fact that the Animal Protection and Welfare Law on the state level was identified as one of the Action Plan priorities for fulfillment based on priorities for European Partnership with BiH and adopted by the Council of Minister of BiH as well as one of priorities to harmonize Entity and State veterinary laws, I hope that the Animal Protection and Welfare Law of RS will be harmonized with the State law.

At the July 26, 2012 session of the Council of Ministers of BiH, they were familiarized with Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s recommendations regarding the fulfillment of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law and the related Veterinary Office of BiH’s goal to resolve the problem of stray dog population. What has the Veterinary Office of BiH done from 2012 to now?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

Based on the recommendation by the Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina and as the result of the misconduct under the Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms due to the lack of implementation of the law by local community councils, the Veterinary Office of BiH was not specified for shouldering the recommended measures.

Considering that the responsibility for regulating the stray dog population lies with the local community councils, as mandated by law and recognized by the Ombudsman, the Veterinary Office of BiH has tried to recommend and establish a common model for the implementation of the law during its meetings with local community councils given the difficult financial situation across BiH.

However, the scarcity of financial resources is always listed as the reason for the lack of implementation of the law regarding the care of stray dogs. In principal, this refers to the establishment of shelters as causing the highest demand for financial resources. For implementation of preventative measures, such as castration/sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs, the counties have more or less appropriated funds. Hence, we cannot say that nothing is being done, in some way they have been awaken by the Ombudsman’s recommendations and have begun implementing the law. The point that the counties are responsible for the implementation of the law is confirmed by a big number of payments to residents for damages sustained due to dog bites. So, the counties are processing payments as a result of court orders which further demonstrate their responsibility. Otherwise the court would not rule in favor of the claimant, namely the person who suffered a dog bite. Counties are well aware of this fact but are continuously maintaining the story of funding scarcity. However, if the law would have been implemented and the funds budgeted in a timely manner, it could have resulted in a much greater number of animal shelters that are not capped at 500 animals. It is important to stress that the cost for building shelters and daily stay of animals in shelters has been publicly overstated.

In your opinion, has the castration and sterilization of dogs been successful given that the number of stray dogs in Sarajevo has increased yearly?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

Based on the counting conducted by Dogs Trust over the last three years, this year we have noted a decrease in four city counties where counting is performed. However, the number has overall increased as a result that dogs are being brought to Sarajevo. It is impossible to have such a big number of unsterilized dogs presented at sterilization programs in certain parts of the city. That means that when we announce a sterilization program, we are seeing adult dogs which after three years of sterilization and castration should have previously been sterilized. However, it is evident from the behavior and general state of packs consisting of five to six dogs that they have been brought from some other region. They are scared and unfamiliar with the region to which they were brought to. The notable aggression of dog packs is due to the fear and unfamiliarity of the region. These dogs, at least the ones I saw, are in a poor state, lack nutrition, a large number have skin problems due to neglect, but most of all they are scared. Therefore, these are not dogs from the city that are being looked after, and that is evident from their condition and behavior.

Does that mean that certain counties are resolving their stray dog problem by bringing dogs to Sarajevo?

That is the case and I think that the situation would be much better and we could see the results of sterilization if each county conducted sterilization as mandated by law.

What kind of collaboration exists between the Veterinary Office of BiH and animal protection non-governmental organizations?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

The Veterinary Office of BiH has an advisory role in its collaboration with Dogs Trust to develop the program. We are attempting to point out main problems with implementation of the law and where Dogs Trust, as an experienced and knowledgeable organization, can help to resolve the problem. The Veterinary Office of BiH is insisting that Dogs Trust expand its area of operations to a broader region of Bosnia and Herzegovina and step outside of Sarajevo. Our opinion is that this would be highly useful to local communities, particularly due to the reason I previously mention that dogs are being brought to Sarajevo under the impression that the problem is being resolved in Sarajevo. In smaller communities, the source of stray dogs comes from abandoned puppies of dogs owned dogs, which are traditionally left “in front of strangers’ doors.” Veterinary Office of BiH maintains that the problem must be resolved in the local communities through castration of owned dogs to prevent population growth, and of course, the number of abandoned dogs. Those are two parallel lines that must be addressed.

Based on your knowledge, how many stray dogs are in Sarajevo?

Current estimates indicate that the number is around 8,000.

What are the legal procedures under which owners are punished for abandoning their pets?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

If we are able to establish a connection between a dog and the owner, which is critical for punishment, the law has provided the course for punishment and has strictly forbidden animal abandonment. The ability to punish irresponsible owners exists and the essence of this law is to promote responsible ownership and to punish irresponsible owners. At the moment this is not possible because we do not have a protocol for registry which would require owners to register their pets. At the moment, in most cases, inspectors are unable to determine ownership of dogs.

Why has the protocol not been established?

I really don’t know how to answer that question.

Can we then say that the question of stray dogs is a matter of politics and not professionalism? Does it appear to you that this matter is being impacted by politics more than the profession, and that is the reason why the Advising Council and Ethics Committee has not been established yet?

It is obvious that this matter is being impacted by politics more than by the profession. Not the entire law, but exclusively the matter of abandoned dogs. Dogs are visible and if they were removed we would quickly see the result of someone’s work. The way that would be done or those results achieved is less important. This law never intended for dogs to be on the streets or to have the current situation as its aim. Had the law been implemented over the past five years and all measures applied as mandated by law, the situation would be different. In the first, second and third year we were not mandated to have established shelters, but by the fourth year we should have had a certain number of shelters; and if we would have consistently performed sterilization and castration, I don’t think that we would have this situation today. In the end, if Article 14 of the Law was implemented and aggressive dogs were euthanized, we would not have this many dogs in my opinion. By that I also mean stray dogs that are sick, meaning dogs with compromised welfare. Despite our good collaboration with nongovernmental organizations, we developed divergent opinions. In that sense the nongovernmental organizations assumed a burden that is not delegated to them by law.

After four years of not implementing the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, is it even possible to resolve the problem of stray dogs through the means mandated by law?

I believe that is it. Precisely because the law encompasses the entire population and has

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

exactly outlined steps for what is necessary to achieve this. I believe that if we begin fully implementing the law that the problem would be resolved, provided that we count on adoptions of which we must have more of. That’s precisely what I see the role of nongovernmental sector to be, and that its current focus should be redirected to adoptions in order to ensure effective shelters and a way for animals to leave shelters.

When we speak about dog shelters across the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, how many shelters have been closed by the Veterinary Office of BiH due to violations of regulations for operating shelters?

The Office has not closed any, and neither have the inspection authorities as far as I know.

Have you personally visited shelters for abandoned dogs in Gladno polje and Praca in the vicinity of Sarajevo and what do you think about the conditions under which dogs are kept in the shelters?

I did not visit them. I attended the opening of Praca but I have not been involved in the oversight of those shelters and cannot give an opinion on their fulfillment of regulations.

Based on photographs circulating in the media, we can conclude that shelter dogs are living in inhumane conditions. Why are we seeing such pictures from shelters which are receiving significant financial resources?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

From what I have seen in photographs, and I am only referring to photographs that I saw through media sources and internet portals, it is in fact true that those are inhumane conditions. First of all, those are unsanitary conditions and the focus on the facilities is not as important as the human factor, unkempt hygiene and the lack of the protocol for operating shelters. It is not enough to just build shelters. You must build an entire infrastructure of people to work in shelters in order for them to function. Especially because you are dealing with a large number of animals and there is an enormous amount of work. Hence, whoever goes into the business of running shelters must be ready for the fact that it entails a lot of work and that everything depends on the prescribed regulations. Conditions are definitely unhygienic and it appears that the shelters are over capacity.

Who has oversight over shelters and who controls work procedures?

Oversight is based on territories. These include canton level, republic, and county level inspector of Republika Srpska.

Does that mean that the Veterinary Inspector Department does not have jurisdiction over shelters?

Veterinary Inspector Department does have jurisdiction, however, we have not conducted shelter inspections.

Why?

Answer to that question must be sought from the Director of the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You have mentioned microchipping of small animals. I am interested in why the Veterinary Office has not developed a protocol for microchipping of small animals given that the protocol was supposed to be established in 2009 when the Animal Protection and Welfare Law went into effect?

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

Microchipping, which means registering all animals on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been mandated by the veterinary law of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2002. Therefore, this law did not dictate mandatory animal microchipping, but has reconfirmed that responsibility. In the respect of abandoned dogs and cats, the protocol on the registry of dogs and cats is a crucial component to implementing the law in a way that allows inspectors to do their jobs and to fill the budget through paid fines from the start. This law is not fully effective due to the fact that no one has been successful in issuing fines for the reasons I previously stated. We cannot connect an animal to the owner that abandoned it. The moment we are able to fill the budget through this law, I believe that the story regarding the inability to implement it would fall off or significantly decrease.

When can we then expect the implementation of the law?

When everyone responsible for the implementation begins to behave that way and take action, when we begin working on preventing the source of the problem, and not on resolving consequences of not implementing the law. That is the more expensive option.

Do you have a pet?

I do. I had dogs for twenty years, more precisely I had two dogs. Now I have a cat, but I am close to making a decision on adopting a stray dog. I am cognizant of dog ownership responsibilities and have been vacillating for a long time; however, I think that I have exhausted all of the reasons “against,” which in truth there have not been many.

Gladno Polje “Shelter”, Sarajevo, BiH

As you can see from the photographs in this article, Gladno Polje shelter in Sarajevo is in terrible condition. It is but one of many public shelters in the country. Please see: Horror Camps for Animals in Bosnia and many other posts in this blog. The dogs at Gladno Polje are at least monitored by animal activists, but they need your help. Please join our FB Event: Help the dogs in Gladno Polje survive the winter!

And you can donate via YouCaring: Help the Gladno Polje dogs survive winter

Petitions:

Related articles in this blog:

The “Aggressive” Dogs of Sarajevo
The Campaign Begins With a Slaughter: You will kill the dogs, but what will you do with the beasts?
Stray Dogs of Sarajevo to be Killed in Election Ploy
Stop the Killing of Strays in Sarajevo
Bosnia: Sarajevo set to become the next Bucharest
BOSNIA: kill and slaughter until the dog is no more…
Bosnia Killing Dogs – No Different to Romania!

Related media:

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DONATIONS

Funds are needed to help individual rescues, for spay-neuter projects, for education also to continue advocacy work in Bosnia, uncovering the truth about what is happening there.

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.

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Animal Activist Interviewed about Flood Disaster in Bosnia

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

Dalida Kozlić (BiH): Aktivisti rade 24/7! Interview of Dalida Kozlic by Rujana Jeger in Bez Dlake Na Jeziku

Translation of the interview into English:

Dalida Kozlić is an ideal spokesperson on the topic of protection of animals. She is a lawyer who deals with the legal protection of animals, including documentation and reporting of crimes of torture and killing of animals, as well as the failure to implement and violations of provisions of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This young girl (24) is an activist for animal rights and a rescuer with more than 15 years of experience. We began to correspond when I saw Damir Janacek’s movie ” Kinofil “, which drew my attention to the situation of stray dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the abuse of animals in general. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina has been hit by the worst floods ever, I am wondering how animals are being rescued.

BDNJ : Dalida, we know that the flooding has affected a big part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the situation is catastrophic, tell us more details …

DK : The situation is terrible, especially in Doboj, Maglaj, Orašje, Odzak, Bijeljina, Bosanski Samac. Damage to properties and infrastructure will be almost the same as damage from the war. Unfortunately, there are casualties. Over one million people have no access to drinking water, thousands of people have lost their homes due to floods or landslides which have been destroying hundreds of houses. Homecoming will be a slow process for many people. Many houses were destroyed or became unsafe because of the huge quantity of water. Many of the affected areas have lost literally everything. Restoration of terrain will be a long and slow process.

BDNJ : What is the situation for the animals ? We know that there are a lot of stray dogs in BiH…

DK : Unfortunately , many animals were killed. In some areas all livestock died. Many wild animals were killed in landslides, and many left their habitats. Many stray animals died too. Some stray animals escaped to forests and mountains. Unfortunately, many of them were injured or they drowned in the water. It has been reported that many people organised rescue operations for stray animals, pets and livestock. There were cases where people didn’t want to be evacuated without their animals. Unfortunately, people were not in such solidarity with the animals in some parts of Bosnia. Many cattle weren’t discharged from the stables and corral; too many animals remained tied with chains in some areas. Some of them were rescued, and some weren’t saved. There is a very positive aspect that many people have been doing their best to save the animals for more than 10 days, but there is a terrible side that many animals have been left at the mercy of nature – consciously by the owner.

BDNJ : Has the government done something in terms of rescuing of animals and their care?

DK : The reaction of the state when it comes to animals is as usual inadequate. Prevention and / or suppression of the epidemic ought to be a priority. Not enough or nothing was done to rescue animals during floods since many of them had been wounded or sick. Given that there are numerous obstructions in the implementation of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act, injured and sick animals have nowhere to be placed. The Veterinary Office and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of University of Sarajevo have been working in the field of combating epidemics of various diseases, given that corpses of animals and garbage is being removed very slowly, and that temperatures are very high.

BDNJ : Many volunteers and members of animal protection associations have been saving animals in Croatia. What is the situation like in Bosnia?

DK : Many activists, rescuers and volunteers have been saving animals in Bosnia. We are working 24/7 to provide food, medications, veterinary assistance and fostering for the animals. We do not have any help from the state. Many international organizations and individuals are helping us in different ways. It is very important to act preventively because of diseases and to provide vaccines and medications. Also, activists continue to organise the rescue of animals in the flooded areas. I express my great appreciation to the organisations Marianne’s Dog Food Bank and Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have given us all possible assistance in rescuing of animals. These organizations have been fighting for animal rights in Bosnia and enabled the rescue of thousands of animals. Their help is invaluable and I have to point out that many animals have been rescued in the previous period. Many activists are constantly on the field and provide all possible care and help for animals. I want to thank to the wonderful teams from Sarajevo (Jelena , Alica, Edina , Arijana , etc ) and Tuzla (Amila, Ivana ) for the courage and dedication they have shown .

BDNJ : Does it seem to you that this disaster somewhat has changed the attitude of people towards animals ? Are people aware that we equal are in the face of all horrors?

DK : The consciousness of people about animals has changed in some parts of Bosnia. People have expressed their support to the most helpless creatures, but unfortunately in some areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina it is not going to happen for a long time.

BDNJ : What is happening with the legislative procedure on the draft amendments to Animal Protection and Welfare Act of BiH, which provides for the euthanasia of stray dogs ?

DK : Proposal for changes and amendments to the Animal Protection and Welfare Law contains obscene, primitive and inhuman provisions for euthanasia of healthy stray animals that are fostered in shelters (which have never been created) for stray animals, if they are not adopted in 14 days. Legal procedure is not completed and no one knows when it will be finished in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly since a vice president and member of the House of Peoples Sulejman Tihic has cancer. For this reason, meeting of the Collegiums of the House of Peoples cannot be held to discuss amendments to the Animal Protection and Welfare Act. We hope that the face of disaster will show people that all suffer equally and that there is no need to inflict more pain when there are humane solutions. And finally, here you can see the documentary Kinofil. It is very sad. And very good.

More about Dalida and how you can support her work here.

If you can help in the fundraising effort to assist rescue groups in the aftermath of the floods please donate via our YouCaring or via Paypal to donations@awabosnia.org as per the instructions below and mark it for EMERGENCY FUNDS. Thank you! No amount is too small.

For ongoing updates please see our Facebook page AWABosnia

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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.

Looking into the Eyes of these Animals…

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

Tina Trier Engelbreth: “Looking into the eyes of these animals, you can read a story about people who are inclined to evil”
Interview on Taco.net by Jelena Paunović
Translation in English:

When did you decide to help Bosnian animals?

I joined Facebook some years ago and quickly got involved in the animal community there. The plight of the cats and dogs in Eastern Europe was obvious – and I teamed up with Marianne’s Dog Food Bank in June 2012 as an administrator and put all my heart in this work very fast. We only support stray dogs/cats in Bosnia Herzegovina as it is almost impossible to have focus on other things as it is a big task to help as much as possible.

When I joined we were helping a large shelter in Tuzla with about 600 dogs – providing them with food, houses, veterinary help etc. Later we parted amicably with the shelter and they are still actively working to help animals in Bosnia Herzegovina. We are now working autonomously and we built/opened our first mini-shelter in Tuzla in May 2013.

What was the key reason you started doing it?

I have always loved animals – and I’m an activist at heart. I can’t know something and not act upon it, if I have a chance. And Facebook is a great media for activists to help their various causes.

Have you ever before visit Bosnia Herzegovina?

Yes, I went in December 2012 for 10 days working/helping in a shelter in Tuzla. I fell in love with a little dog called Enzo, and in January 2013 he arrived to Denmark and is now living with me. He is the man in my life.

People often ask themselves why does foreigners help animals in Bosnia Herzegovina.

I can only say for myself that I help because too little is done by the authorities in Bosnia Herzegovina to solve the stray problem in an ethical way. Killing the strays is not the way to do it. Spay/neuter is the ONLY viable option.

How did Denmark solved the problem of strays?

We don’t have stray dogs at all in Denmark. If a dog is found roaming in the street, it’s handed over to the police who will try to find the owners. Dogs must be microchipped – it’s the law – and so you can always find the owner. If a dog is not microchipped, it will go to a shelter and be adopted to another family.

Many dog breeds are forbidden in Denmark. What do you think when the list of forbidden dog breeds will be cancelled?

There is an active resistance against this BSL list and hopefully it will soon be abolished.

Recently you decided to build dog shelter in Sarajevo. Can you tell us something more about the project?

The new shelter is also a mini-shelter with room for about 15 dogs. The dogs will be vaccinated, microchipped and get a passport and be adopted – usually out of Bosnia Herzegovina. We will also provide veterinary help for these dogs.

Is it expensive to finance shelter for stray animals?

Yes, it is rather expensive and we work tirelessly to raise funds for what we do. It’s a full time job for most of the administrators in our group.

You have been working with Bosnia Herzegovina activists for long time. Which story touched you most?

The stories about puppies left alone on the streets or in the woods are heart-breaking. But all dogs and cats should have a family to care for them and every dog that is abandoned and neglected and unloved is something that touches me very much. Looking into the eyes of such an animal tells a story of humans succumbing to evil.

There are many stories about tortured, sick and “aggressive” animals in Bosnia Herzegovina. You have re homed many of stray animals. How have stray animals adopted to live in normal circumstances?

We take in the strays and socialize them in our mini-shelter over a period. Most dogs turn out to live good lives as family pets, but it does demand patience from the new owners, because our dogs almost always come with a baggage of abuse and hunger. But with time and love they tend to love and trust again as is in their nature. Some dogs cannot be socialized as quickly as we would want. But once we have an animal in our care, they can stay for as long as they need to. We don’t throw them out if they’re not adoptable. They just become permanent residents.

Are all adoptions successful?

Some have to be rehomed if the first owners can’t manage them or don’t have the patience. But it’s usually the owners that fail – not the dogs. It takes time and patience – and if the owners have that, it usually work well. Until now we have rehomed more than 100 dogs/cats from Bosnia Herzegovina to countries like Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Germany.

How would you describe stray animals from Bosnia Herzegovina? Sociable, friendly?

Considering the horrible abuse they have gone through, I’m amazed how friendly most dogs still are towards people. Some of them still have issues with trust, but most of them overcome it with time. The younger the dog is when we get him/her, the easier it is to resocialize them, of course.

What would happen with stray animals in Bosnia Herzegovina, if activists and foreign organizations didn’t help stray animals?

Authorities don’t help local organisations and activists. I don’t like thinking of that. It’s a shame on the Bosnia Herzegovina authorities, the way they treat the strays. There are many wonderful people – Bosnia Herzegovina rescuers – who work night and day to help the animals – and foreign organizations couldn’t do what we do without them. But the authorities deserve no praise – only shame! They ought to cooperate with the foreign organizations and not go against them, as they tend to. Instead of spending money on corrupt dog catchers and incompetent vets, as we have seen all too often, they should open the borders to the animal activist organizations and offer them their best cooperation.

If you want to help Tina and Marianne’s Dog Food Bank, please visit their website and Facebook group.

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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.

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.

______________________________________________

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.

What monsters started with people during the war, they continue with animals during peace time

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Sandra Jensen

Translation of an article and interview with Jelena Paunović on Tacno.net (09.03.2013) Ono što su monstrumi započeli u ratu sa ljudima u miru su nastavili sa životinjama

What monsters started with people during the war, they continue with animals during peace time

Jelena Paunović, an animal protection activist and pro-life fighter, we say pro-life because the person who does not appreciate life of an animal will hardly have respect for human life either. This brave woman proudly defies the primitivism she is surrounded with, protecting these innocent creatures from the evil of local people which nearly loses the sense of this word.

In her interview for tacno.net Jelena speaks about her struggles, about the lack of understanding from people and institutions of the system; how she will not give up, on the contrary, she proudly looks ahead and puts herself on the line as a shield for animals.

Realizing how serious the problem of animal cruelty is in our society, portal tacno.net will soon open a section devoted to this issue.

Interviewer: Predrag Blagovčanin

Miss Paunović, tell us more about your Association, mission and goals you stand for.

The association “Život” is registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is an association for the protection and welfare of animals. It was founded in 2010 with the goal to raise people’s awareness about animal welfare, about what animals mean, how important they are for our community and how much the quality of a society is displayed through the treatment of animals. However, this very goal of promoting animal welfare and education has taken a back seat due to the situation we have in the field. Hence I believe that despite of all the articles, statements and interviews, the NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not really moved further than simply saving animals from the streets, which are terrible.

Is there an exact number of NGOs and associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina that actively work to promote the protection of animals?

There are many associations. However, despite a common goal, methods of achieving this goal are different. And, there are many fakes. I’d like to mention the association “Help animals” led by Gordana Ristić. Mrs. Ristić has a shelter in Faletići that has been saving animals for a long time now.

I would also like to mention Mr. Velimir Ivanišević from the Association for Prevention of Animal Cruelty “SOS”. Ivanišević belongs to the old school of activists from which you can always learn something new. Without good teachers there is no good work.

I cooperate with all the activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our paths simply cross and we all know each other. I believe that each of us does what they deem best. A good example of an activist and great humanist is certainly Daliborka Čolić. For years she has been helping dogs from Bosnia. The work of her Association “SOS Šapice” from Gradiška represents the brightest example for B&H that through consistent application of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act, with a lot of work, sacrifice and love for dogs, the problem can be solved. During a recent visit to her shelter, I cried and was left speechless. Let alone the tidy kennels, the healthy and beautiful dogs–one can simply feel the love for animals in the air.

Apart from members of associations, there are numerous activists working in Bosnia, doing more than their fair share of work every day. The informal civil group “Avlijaneri” led by activist Sanela Kotorić Etterle takes care of the dog shelter in Gladno Polje.

I will stop here because I am afraid I could forget to mention someone. The most important thing is that we are there!

It is obvious that the problem with stray dogs in Sarajevo has escalated to the point where they represent a potential danger for citizens. How can this problem be adequately solved to the satisfaction of both people and animals?

There is no alternative to the Animal Protection and Welfare Act which came in effect in April of 2009. The only way of solving this problem is consistent application of the Act!

If the Act states that all dogs (owned and strays alike) need to be tagged with chip or marker, then it is how it should be! If irresponsible owners were to be sanctioned, then people would not be able to do whatever they want with their dogs. There is no unified record of owned dogs either, and not all owned dogs are neutered/spayed.

And here we come to the second link in the chain, neutering and spaying. Municipalities put funds towards this purpose, activists do what they can with help of donations, however there is no systematic effort towards the solution of the problem. If we only sterilize stray dogs using catch, sterilize and release method, we come back to the source of problem, and those are owned dogs.

Rural areas are almost never mentioned. Maybe we will solve the problem in Sarajevo at some point, but what about the villages around Sarajevo? Talking with people from nearby villages we tell them: we will do vet processing of a dog (sterilization/castration, vaccine, microchip, pills against internal parasites, spray against external parasites), and you will only participate in paying say 50 or 100 KM (25-50 Euros/35-70 USD). Often we get the answer that someone “Would kill hundred dogs for that money”. Owning a dog means taking responsibility! Unfortunately, most people have not yet “reached” the understanding that a dog is a living being.

Often in the media we see statements that “shelters have not solved the problem”. To all those who feel that way I can say that they never will. Short and simple! Shelters are but a small link in the chain of solving the problem.

One of the most important links is education, and currently in Sarajevo, “Dogs Trust” is the only one working on education of children.

The last, but certainly not the weakest link, are the media. They are the ones who should promote the moral treatment of animals, promote giving them homes, respecting the Animal Welfare Act. And yet they do a very poor job on this. At one point we had daily titles in the media like “dog bit…”, “dog attacked…”, “dog slaughtered” etc.

Apart from social networks, you will rarely encounter necessary promotion of giving home to animals. Half breed dogs as well. Instead, we have situations like: “We love dogs but we do not want a mongrel, we will give a thousand marks for a dog, we will then play with that toy for a while and we realize that this toy pees and poops, we will throw it out on the street.” And when this dog ends up on the street, neither police nor the veterinary inspection will do their job, and us activists are back at the start of this story…

What is the problem with implementation of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act and why do we have to wait so long for implementation of this Act?

Because the institutions in charge refuse to do their job. The institution in charge is the Department of Foreign Commerce and Economic Relations of B&H. They are in charge for implementation of the Act. The Office for Animal Health of B&H is in charge of supervision. And the Act is implemented through official veterinarians. In the article 27 of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act it states that, if you see an abandoned animal, you are obliged to report it to the official veterinarian. However, there is a “catch”. Veterinarians who passed the Act now refuse to implement it!

Due to this you find yourself in a situation that once you inform the official veterinarian about irresponsible ownership, abandoned or lost animal, he calls the animal protection associations! Official veterinarians are by law obliged to implement the Animal Welfare Act. We however, do what we do purely for ethical reasons.

It is hard to react if we know that a dog is being attacked, that it will be put on a stake, that they poured boiling oil on it, slaughtered it or similar. Every reasonable being is haunted by things like this because you always believe there is something you can do. However, this is not our job and we are not supported by the budget nor does anyone pay us.

Lack of work and irresponsibility of members of the police also make our work difficult. Although they are obliged to react according to the Criminal Law of FB&H or Criminal Law of RS, they often respond to the reports with: “Are you calling us about some dogs again?” It is irrelevant that this dog was slaughtered before the eyes of children, for example what happened in Blažuj last year. Then we come to social services, psychiatry etc.

Dogs on the street is the problem of a non-functioning system in the entirety, and that is what people need to finally understand!

People offer their services on social networks to kill animals, has anyone reacted on this offer to commit murder? Is there a reaction from the police?

With more reports I hope there will be more response! There is another law dealing with this topic, and that is the Act on Local Government where, in Article 8, there is a mention of solving the problem of abandoned animals. Taking care of abandoned dogs as well as the series of preventive measures so it would not come to abandonment and unwanted offspring is prescribed by the Animal Protection and Welfare Act in which it is stated that part of responsibility for solving the problem comes down to municipalities. However, in Sarajevo we have a situation where only one municipality has its own shelter, and that is the Municipality of Ilidža. Now there is a contract that Ibrahim Hadžibajrić, the Mayor of Ilidža, made with Municiaplity of Istočni Stari grad, or more precisely with the shelter “Hreša” managed by Slaviša Jovičić.

What are conditions like in dog shelters?

I will just say that in no shelter prescriptions from the Regulation for Founding and Conditions that need to be fulfilled in animal shelters are fully respected. Here they first build the shelter with no conditions, and after this inspection comes a million times and requires improvement of conditions. I am very exclusive on this topic. If there is a Regulation, then it should be followed.

A little while ago the media reported on the conflict between representatives of animal protection associations and Mayor of Municipality Stari Grad Mr. Hadžibajrić. Can you tell us more about this conflict?

I would not call it a conflict. In the democratic system, every private person and everyone from the NGO sector has full right to indicate incorrect spending of the budget. We can say “poor dogs from Stari Grad” but that is just one side of the coin which, in this case, is not so interesting. Maybe to me personally, but not to the social community that fills up this same budget. However, when you say OK, so where is the money from the budget, then that is something else.

We have a very specific situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is a law on the state level that is somewhat observed in Federation and we have the first draft of the Act from 2008 which is in force in RS. However, in RS this Act was never harmonized with the state law. This means that in RS there is the “kill” system (both healthy and sick dogs are euthanized after 30 days). There is no euthanasia in Federation, unless a veterinarian believes this to be only option.

I personally believe that Hadžibajrić found a hole in the law and signed this unfortunate agreement with “Hreša”. Why unfortunate? Maybe it would all be fine if no one from the municipalities in RS did not sign the agreement or protocol about cooperation with this same shelter. No one probably expected that activists would not allow for killing of the dogs!

Recently members of the Association “Life is Life” stated on “Oslobođenje” that Novo Sarajevo is in negotiations with the shelter “Hreša”. The Mayor of the Municipality Novi Grad, Semir Efendić, also publicaly stated that they will sign agreement with them. So we have a mathematical and logical question: how can eighteen kennels solve the problem of dogs from Bosnia and Herzegovina?

In the whole “Hreša case”, the important role is played by the signing of a cooperation protocol between the shelters in Prača (Sarajevo) and in Hreša. Since I did not see this protocol, I do not know all the details and I can only speak about what has been said in public. From what I gathered from everything that has been published, Hreša will collect dogs, Prača will take them over (they call it dog transfer!), the association “Life is Life” will ask for donations of blankets and food, and Slaviša Jovičić of Hreša shelter will take money from all possible budgets and spend them as he wills! I fail to see any logic there. Apart from what is obvious.

Despite how much any activist may love dogs and want to help them, we cannot give legitimacy to illegal activities by jumping under the bus! If all the activists had not in the past and continue every day to play Mother Theresa – institutions in charge would have to solve the problem a long time ago. In this way, the situation moved out of their hands.

So we have laws on all possible levels and the problem arises from implementation of these laws. However, does this law completely protect animals?

We have a great state law and animals are completely protected on the paper. Before the law we had a hideous rendering plant that had killed dogs for 50 years. So they had been killing dogs for 50 years and yet still did not kill them all! Killing is not a solution! They were receiving up to million KM from the budget every year. That is the fact that is rarely mentioned. And also a few people know that people trained in RSPCA program captured dogs with wires, tore off their legs, and strangled them in front of citizens. “Hreša” was this type of facility until recently! I could never imagine myself as having any kind of cooperation with murderers.

I had to mention this, and the concrete answer is that Animal Protection and Welfare Act with all relating sub acts is very clearly defined. There is no killing and no torturing! And yet practice shows that fire crackers are being put in dog mouths, that children are being cruel with dogs, that dogs are raped with umbrellas… Only when you see what people do to animals, you realize how degenerate the society we live in is.

Since you mention this, we are witnesses to cruel acts of different psychopaths on animals in Sarajevo and all over B&H. Does this properly diagnose our society?

What monsters have started during the war, they have continued now with animals in my opinion. I will quote Velimir Ivanišević who says : “Animal cruelty is training for cruelty over people.” They start with picking out eyes of pigeons, raping dogs with umbrellas, then they rape their sister and in the end they kill their mother. It is simply the way it is.

Is there at least one school subject or extracurricular activity that would teach children how to properly treat animals?

The subject does not exist, and as for teachers, I cannot say: teachers in Unsko-Sanski Canton love animals. We can only speak about this on individual level. An organization from Great Britain, “Dogs Trust”, came here last year and they do this type of education on the area of Sarajevo Canton, As for our NGO sector, we have a lot of work, but when we have time, we organize a lecture or a forum.

We have information that animal activists are being threatened, what it is like to live under the pressure and threats made on life just because you are a humanist?

If someone looked at my Facebook profile they would maybe say: “Great, she helps animals”. But for some it represents an attack on position and possible review of money flow. And at that point this story receives a whole different dimension.

IN MEMORY OF VUČKO

raising awareness and funds to stop animal suffering in Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Category Archives: Interviews

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Veterinary Office of Bosnia: is it possible to solve the problem of stray dogs?

Animal Activist Interviewed about Flood Disaster in Bosnia

Looking into the Eyes of these Animals…

What monsters started with people during the war, they continue with animals during peace time