The project of castration, sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs in Kosovo is starting again this year.
The Food and Veterinary Agency of Kosovo (FVAK) has announced the tender of the project for the treatment of stray dogs in Kosovo on October 4th, 2019.
We are happy that this project is starting again and we hope it will continue for a long time in the years to come.
However, we are very disappointed that FVAK, also in this year is concentrating on quantity rather than on quality of work.
Last year (2018), the FVAK insisted that the tender criteria should have been adapted for each veterinarian in Kosovo, without defining appropriate veterinary qualifications to treat dogs (pets). That’s we’ve had severe cases where dogs have suffered quite badly – precisely because of the inability of some veterinarians to treat small animals (dogs, cats).
Even this year, the FVAK sets no criteria on the professionalism and veterinary skills of the veterinarians who will apply to this year’s project – but instead has specified that the post-operative fostering/centers should have at least 25 dog rehabilitation boxes. Although space in the Kosovo situation was not a priority – but more the unhygienic and unprofessional work of a large number of veterinarians involved in 2018. We say this, based on the visits we made last year 2018, in which we noticed the unclean and unprofessional work of many veterinarians – no matter how much space they had for dogs.
Even if a veterinary clinic only has 5 or 10 boxes for the rehabilitation of dogs castrated, but works properly while respecting every legal provisions for the dignified treatment of animals, – we are sure that the work will bring positive outcomes.
The focus of FVAK seems to be on achieving a faster number of (whatever) dog treatments rather than on their well-being and their treatment by quality and professional work of veterinarians.
We will first ask FVAK to change this criterion.
Second, we will see which of the veterinarians will win the tender this year. If the same ones who committed crimes and misused public funds during 2018, get the project, we will publicly report them and request their dismissal, publicly.
Third, we will monitor all the winning points even more actively on 2019/2020 and report every law violation immediately to the prosecution (Kosovo Penal Code: Art. 343,344, 346).
