Skip Nav | Home | Mobile | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Security | Support Us

World

THE WAR IS OVER BUT THE BRUTAL MASSACRE OF ANIMALS ADVANCES

Alexandra Yurkiw & Marijo Anne Gillis | 24.04.2005 04:18 | Animal Liberation | World

Serbian Abuses of Animals

During the past several weeks we have been contacted by countless Serbians concerned about the startling escalation of blatant animal abuse in their country. Due to widespread corruption and a "fear factor" regarding retribution that still exists in Serbia, these individuals requested that we tell their story while keeping their identities secret. Following, are facts and observations recounted by Serbian citizens to the writers of this article.

Ever since the end of the war, Serbia has been inundated with abandoned street animals, the majority of whom are brutally murdered. Like so many other places in the world, most citizens and civil authorities are not educated in humane animal issues and furthermore, do not care. Sterilization (spay/neuter) is not widely practiced. The animal welfare laws that do exist are not enforced and improving animal welfare is not a priority of Serbian government officials.

While it is understandable that the country is still in transition due to its history of war, Serbian citizens reporting the injustices to us, rumor that ample documentation exists detailing rampant corruption not only among Serbian authorities but even within some of the non governmental organizations (NGOs) purportedly engaged in animal welfare. Thankfully, a small minority of compassionate people are working diligently to bring about positive change for both companion and farmed animals. Obviously and sadly, they cannot do it alone.

Ten years have passed since Serbian hostilities were laid to rest It is absurd and unacceptable to use the war as an excuse for abuse, neglect, indifference and inaction. Yet, torturing, poisoning and brutally killing dogs and cats is still occurring without punishment for the perpetrators of these vicious animal related crimes. The "Serbian scene" is of growing concern to civilized people everywhere. Serbian animal welfare advocates have witnessed brutal trapping methods, the ruthless beatings of dogs to death and poisonings, resulting in agonizing deaths. Hunters wantonly shoot abandoned companion animals for sport.

Our sources estimate that the city of Belgrade savagely destroys about six thousand dogs annually. The city "fathers" hire the ”professional pest" control firm EKOSAN to exterminate the unwanted animals--innocent victims of human animal cruelty. The government claims that humane practices are exercised yet documentation and verbal reports from animal workers details graphic images of dogs in Belgrade’s “OVCA” dog kill shelter being viciously destroyed. So much for official Serbian credibility

Other Serbian observers report that many of the so called humane societies work in "close" relationship with authorities who advocate destroying the stray animals. Witnesses have observed dogs and cats being destroyed using brutal methods by "dog catchers" to round up the animals. "Workers" at kill shelters lack training in humane animal care and control and legal issues pertaining to animal rights. Witnesses have observed dogs and cats being destroyed using brutal methods within these same "shelters". There are also reports of the "disappearances" of sterilization and euthanasia equipment. Furthermore, documentation is available showing dead dogs, skinned and heaped together -- the victims of a mass execution. All this, in a Belgrade shelter! Is this what the Serbian hierarchy terms humane euthanasia?

Equally as sad and reprehensible is the Belgrade zoo, one of the oldest zoos in Europe. Housing approximately two thousand animals, the zoo has acquired a notorious reputation due to the unacceptable treatment of the animals in their "care". The zoo director has close ties to the Serbian hunting lobby as well as Belgrade’s city hall. Documentation is available from Serbian animal welfare advocates showing these animals confined within squalid living conditions and consequently ill and distressed. Many of these animals exhibit abnormal behavior, such as bar biting, over-grooming, self mutilation, head bashing, circling, leg chewing, etc. Furthermore, many animals that were born in the zoo throughout the years have disappeared. The zoo claimed that new tigers, bears and a hippo were born recently but the animals appear to have vanished.

Documentation

Album: abandoned animals horror story- Serbia

 http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view.html/view/87/576833221/abandoned_animals_horror_story__Serbia/

Album: Hell Zoo – Belgrade

 http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view.html/view/87/576833221/Hell_Zoo___Belgrade___/

The Gallery

 http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view.html/view/87/576833221/

Written by:
Alexandra Yurkiw
&
Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder
Welfare for Animals in Greece
Welfare for Animals Global, Inc.
(a New York non-profit advocacy & political lobby group)
Tel. (212) 427-0587 Fax (212) 427-6381
E-Mail  Twinkieperkyebby@msn.com

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please copy and paste the letter which follows to the list of authorities found below ( which you can also copy and paste) and blind copy me at  Twinkieperkyebby@msn.com

Or write you own letter

Please send letters to:

 predsednikvladesrbije@srbija.sr.gov.yu;  office@minpolj.sr.gov.yu;  info@mntr.sr.gov.yu;;  city@beograd.org.yu;  londre@jugisek.demon.co.uk

Dear Sir:

The brutal treatment of companion, farmed and zoo animals in Serbia is coming to the attention of the world. We are horrified to witness man's lack of compassion, indiscriminate cruelty and the Serbian government's indifference and inaction regarding the criminal treatment of Serbian animals.

This negative publicity will surely reverberate throughout the world and result in sanctions from civilized governments and concerned citizens who are able to travel and spend tourist dollars. Surely, the Serbian gross national product depends in part on the influx of money from neighboring nations.

We respectfully and urgently request that you take notice and action of this reprehensible situation which is fast resulting in the deterioration of Serbian status within the global family.

Put a stop to the brutal, vicious killing of domesticated street animals by government officials, civil workers and ordinary citizens. Please request the aid of international animal welfare organizations who are adept at planning and implementing humane welfare programs. Implement a spay / neuter program throughout the country and attempt to initiate humane education programs in the school system. Request assistance in the design of coherent and straightforward animal protection legislation. Once in place, and so important, implement and enforce that legislation and initiate prosecution and punishment for perpetrators of animal related crimes. If need be, until Serbia is capable of tending properly to her zoo population, extend an invitation to experts in the proper and humane care and management of confined species.

Please enter this new millennium and posture with compassion and a civilized stance regarding animal welfare.

Name and contact info.

Office of Prime Minister VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA
 predsednikvladesrbije@srbija.sr.gov.yu

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management
 office@minpolj.sr.gov.yu

Serbian Minister of Science and Environmental Protection
 info@mntr.sr.gov.yu

City of Belgrade
 city@beograd.org.yu

Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro
UK
 londre@jugisek.demon.co.uk

Alexandra Yurkiw & Marijo Anne Gillis

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

/regional publish include --> /regional search include -->

World Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Server Appeal Radio Page Video Page Indymedia Cinema Offline Newsheet

secure Encrypted Page

You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.

If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech