Stray Dogs Thrown Into River Immediately After Sterilization

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

Last night animal welfare rescuers and activists were alerted to a horrific situation: four dogs had been thrown into a ravine, the river Zeljeznica. Rescuers rushed to the site, mobilizing all available resources and notifying the police. The terrain was extremely inaccessible, so they called Mountain Rescue Team Sarajevo for help. The Team came with equipment and two trained dog handlers. The rescue mission was successful.
Marianne`s Dog Food Bank offered a safe place for all 4 dogs for the night in one of their shelters, and will be able to keep two of the dogs in the shelter, and another rescuer made sure the other two dogs will be safe.

All four dogs are doing well and were seen by the vet today. The sterilisations incisions look good and there are no signs of illness although they spent time in water.

This was just one rescue mission amongst many. Rescuers in Sarajevo are facing similar experiences every day, doing their best to react, document and prevent illegal actions ordered by authorities all over the town and suburb areas.

If you wish to help these rescues please go to Marianne’s Dog Food Bank website or Facebook group.

Thanks must be made to Mountain Rescue Team Sarajevo and a number of rescuers involved including Marko Jerilovic, Nina Gurda, Caki Bravo, Arijana Ari Arifovic and Amira.

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Published on BiH news portal Taco.net 26.09.2014: NAPUŠTENI PSI NEPOSREDNO NAKON STERILIZACIJE BAČENI U RIJEKU

Another aspect of astonishing cruelty to animals occurred at the site of Kijevo, municipality Trnovo, last night late in the evening. Immediately after sterilization / castration four dogs were dumped in river Zeljeznica canyon. Animal rights activists and citizens called the police, as well as the Mountain Rescue Service Sarajevo, whose members pulled out four dogs from extremely inaccessible terrain, river Zeljeznica canyon.

After the rescue action, it was established that the 4 rescued dogs, prior to barbaric act of throwing them into a river were sterlized/castrated and that all 4 of them have white ear tags. Also, one of the rescued dogs is a puppy about four months old, who also has an incision from surgery. Dogs younger than six months can not and must not be sterilized / castrated.

Four rescued dogs were placed in a secure location where they are given the necessary aid, since they were in bad condition.

This case is not just an example of the barbaric attitude towards the abandoned dogs in BiH, but also represents the basest form of violation of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, Bosnian Veterinary Law and the Criminal Law of Federation BiH and the Criminal Law of Republic of Serpska. Consequently, it will be demanded from the prosecuting authority to identify, prosecute and sanction persons who threw the dogs in the canyon of the river Zeljeznica, as well as the identity of the veterinarian who performed the surgery on the puppy. This implies that mentioned persons, as well as possible abettors, are the ones who ordered and the offenders committed crimes of torture and killing of animals.

All thanks to Mountain Rescue team Sarajevo for the heroic and selfless rescue of four dogs that without their dedication and professionalism could not have been saved.

Also, thanks to citizens and animal rights activists who have located tortured dogs and enabled their placement into safety.

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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.

Flood Rescues from Bosnia – an update on three beautiful cats

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

So many people donated generously to assist in the animal rescue efforts during the terrible flooding in BiH in May. Here is an update on three cats that were rescued, and then kept safe by Angel’s Rest of Tuzla thanks to your donations.

All three were rescued from Bosanski Šamac which was almost completely destroyed by the floods. As one of the rescuers said when they went in there: “It’s really hard to find words to describe all the horror we saw there, even photos are not the best indicators. That smell of death and despair I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Two of the cats were found wandering through muddy streets, disoriented, hungry, thirsty and scared, and third cat had been surviving for more than a week on the roof of a house. Rescuers had to reach her by boat – paddling through what once were streets, playgrounds and gardens.

Although this cat was supposed to be wild, the moment she saw the rescuers approaching, she “..literally wanted to jump into our boat.”

All three cats appeared to be pregnant, but it was soon clear that one of them who they named Katarina, was very ill.

A veterinary examination indicated she had a severe inflammation of the urinary tract, and was not pregnant. After days of aggressive therapy, Katarina showed no improvement.

An ultrasound was unclear, so the vet suggested surgery to confirm if there were adhesions in her inner organs. Also, there were some cancerous changes on her nose and ears, but it was decided it was best to leave these alone. The operation showed that her uterus had thickened and had serious calcification, so it was removed. But her health continued to be so fragile. In the end, with lots of consulting with several vets, the final diagnosis is cancer, which has spread everywhere.

Katarina is in Angel’s Rest in Tuzla, under the very best of care from her rescuers. “I just want to give her peace in her last, hopefully, months on this world. She still wants to be here and I will respect her decision to leave, once she feels like she’s ready to go.”

The silver tabby kitty rescued, named Sophie by her foster mum, also had a vet check shortly after rescue. It was found she was also not pregnant, but heavily infested by worms, for which she was treated and she is now doing really well, also at Angel’s Rest.

“Sophie is young lady (she’s under a year of age) and she’s ready for adoption. Gentle, sweet and very playful.”

The third cat, Steffi, was confirmed very pregnant and gave to 4 beautiful kittens on the fifth of June.
10352579_683358608366078_8647748015950086372_n Very sadly, just a few nights ago one of Steffi’s babies fell out of the window and died, a terrible accident as there was netting on the window, but somehow one of the cats managed to rip an opening. Everyone is absolutely devastated.

R.I.P. little white butterfly.

The other kittens and Steffi are doing really well, the kittens are 7 weeks old and soon they will need homes.

A huge thank you to the rescuers, to the fosters who have taken such good care of these beautiful cats and of course to everyone who donated to the flood fundraiser. If it weren’t for you, these lovely cats would not have survived.

Amra from Angel’s Rest says: “It became very hard to recall memories of the time when all of them were found, now when they all became “house” cats. It’s so good to see them have a normal life after that hell they lived before. When we rescued them, we thought they are all pregnant, but ended up that Katarina is just too sick and Sophie was full of worms. Only Steffi came to safety with offspring. Wish this horrible accident with her baby didn’t happen. But, in her memory I will do anything to find great homes for her siblings and mum.”

If you think you can adopt one of these cats, please contact Dutch Lansky Schultz Meyer on Facebook or contact us here at info@awabosnia.org and we will forward on the email.

Angel’s Rest Facebook group is here. They and their associated group, Marianne’s Dog Food Bank, do extraordinary work for the strays of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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DONATIONS
Funds are needed for spay-neuter projects, to help individual rescues but 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.

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BOSNIA FLOODING: ANIMAL RESCUERS AT WORK

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Sandra Jensen

1466143_10204120508715762_4719223288492878201_n Rescuers have been working around the clock in the most severely affected areas of Bosnia Herzegovina.

Our respect goes out to everyone involved – rescuers from Marianne’s Dog Food Bank, Angel’s Breath, Journalists for Animals, Andjeo Sarajevo, in particular Caki Bravo, and so many other individuals who have joined in the efforts. Your donations have helped save lives, thank you so much! Help is still needed, please keep sharing our YouCaring Fundraiser.

Pictures speak louder than words…

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One story: today, on the way to Orasje to assist with emergency rescue efforts Andjeo Sarajevo saw this dog….

This dog had a family before the floods. His family has lost everything they had in the flooding. They could not take care of the dog anymore. It is injured and slowly but surely starving to death. People asked Andjeo Sarajevo to put the dog down by driving their car over it to end his suffering.

Andjeo Sarajevo will bring the dog to safety. He has been named Dean after a generous animal advocate in Ireland, and has just been offered a home in Finland.

But this is the reality of the situation. So many people have nothing – their homes washed away in the floods, they had so little before and now they have nothing.

If you can help 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.

IN MEMORY OF VUČKO

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

Tag Archives: Marianne’s Dog Food Bank

Stray Dogs Thrown Into River Immediately After Sterilization

Flood Rescues from Bosnia – an update on three beautiful cats

BOSNIA FLOODING: ANIMAL RESCUERS AT WORK

Looking into the Eyes of these Animals…