ACTION FOR PEOPLE AND DOGS!

Thousands of abandoned dogs are roaming the streets of cities and municipalities across Serbia. They suffer on the streets or in overcrowded shelters from malnutrition, lack of safe and warm shelter, injuries and diseases, so we need to protect them. 

Dog catchers in Serbia catch more than 28.500 dogs per year and this number is increasing every year. From this number, many dogs die or get euthanised in shelters. 

Abandoned dogs are viewed by citizens as one of the major local community problems in Serbia. A total of 77.498 citizens have been injured by dogs in 6 years, and the number of injures caused by animals is increasing every year. The costs of compensations that municipalities pay to citizens injured by dogs is estimated to be 25 million EUR for the period of 6 years!

Even though many municipalities invest large amount of funds to conduct some measures of dog population control (catching, placing in shelters, etc.) it is obvious that all approaches applied so far did not result in a success. The reason for that is focus on the consequences instead on the causes of the problem – irresponsible pet ownership and the lack of planned approach of the competent institutions to dog population control.

Abandoned animals are only a consequence of human behaviour.

We believe that a cooperation and coordinated action involving state authorities, local self-governments and animal protection organisations is necessary to achieve permanent solution to the problem. This is why ORCA started the initiative to create a National dog population control strategy. The strategy should be the first step toward a joint national action that will solve the problem of abandoned animals and irresponsible pet ownership in a systematic, permanent and humane manner – for people and dogs.

WHY EXISTING MEASURES DON’T GIVE RESULTS?

Many local self-governments have dog population control programmes and invest a lot of funds in conducting certain measures such as:

- spaying and neutering,
- placing dogs in shelters, returning them back to the streets or rehoming. 

Although zoohygienic services catch over 28.500 dogs per year (this number increases every year), 100% of municipalities have assessed the problem of abandoned animals as “pronounced”. It is obvious that current municipality approaches to dog population control have not worked. The reason for such state is the lack of planned approach of the competent institutions to dog population control, focus only on consequences (removal of abandoned animals) instead if causes of the problem (irresponsible ownership), insufficient coordination of the state authorities and local self-governments and insufficient inclusion of the animal protection organisations in dog population control.

WHY NATIONAL STRATEGY? 

Although according to Animal Welfare Act local self-governments are responsible for solving the problems related to abandoned animals it is obvious that they alone, can’t solve them.

Because of the complexity of these problems and many factors that influence them, a coordinated action involving state authorities, local self-governments and animal protection organisations is necessary in order to solve the problem permanently.

NATIONAL STRATEGY OF DOG POPULATION CONTROL should ensure coordinated implementation of the measures that affect causes but also consequences of the problems related to irresponsible pet ownership and abandoned animals, such as:

- mass spaying and neutering of animals,
- improving the database and register of all animals, 
- consistent implementation of legislation that regulates responsible pet ownership

As many as 96% cities and municipalities stated that they need support in the process of solving problems of abandoned animals. Support of state authorities is important especially because republic veterinary inspection is competent to implement key measures of dog population control – animal microchipping and owner registration, i.e. sanctioning irresponsible owners. Planned and continuous implementation of these measures is necessary so that the problems related to abandoned animals and irresponsible pet ownership may be permanently solved.

LET US BE REMINDED

In April 2018, ORCA in cooperation with NALED organised a round table in the Palace of Serbia, where the Minister of Agriculture, State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-government, representatives of the Veterinary Directorate, mayors and municipality presidents and other representatives of local self-governments, discussed about systematic solutions to problems of abandoned animals in Serbia. On this occasion, Branislav Nedimovic, the Minister of Agriculture stated that the Ministry will work on legislation improvement, creation of new procedures for solving the problem of abandoned dogs and forming shelters, promotion of responsible ownership and animal rehoming, as well as spaying and neutering. At the round table it was concluded that a development of the National dog population control strategyis needed as well as the local dog population control programmes adapted to the specific characteristics of the local environment.