Warning, graphic images!
Dogs are constantly being poisoned and abused in Kosovo.
It is not surprising that in a society with so many problems, discrimination, violence and crime, we also see mistreatment of dogs and stray animals in general.
Four dogs were killed (probably poisoned) by residents of the neighborhood of Çikatova e Re in the Municipality of Drenas on February 10, 2022.
An activist along with his mother, caring for neighborhood dogs and the veterinarian contracted by the Municipality and StrayCoCo are doing a good, controlled and serious job in spaying, vaccinating and releasing dogs in Drenas. However, even though a CNVR (Catch, neuter, vaccinate, release) project is active in Drenas, citizens constantly express hatred towards community dogs because they are not well informed, they are not punished when they commit crimes against animals or the environment and they constantly poison their minds and hearts with the news of different (and false news) of Kosovo portals and media.
Community dogs should be cared for by humans themselves and not poisoned or killed. If the community is not involved in solving the problem in a humane way, the situation with stray dogs will only get worse.
Although the case was reported by neighborhood activists on February 10, the criminal case was not started by the Kosovo Police, as for many people and state officials, poisoning animal food and water is not as important, yet this is a criminal offense in the Republic of Kosovo.
Our organization has contacted and reported the case to the Kosovo Police and will ensure that a case is first considered as a criminal case by the Kosovo Police, and that police investigators go to the neighborhood and conduct the necessary investigations to find the perpetrators.
However, our organization must cooperate with the Municipalities to distribute the news on social networks, local radios and various televisions so that dogs are not killed and poisoned because it is not a solution, except that it is terribly inhumane.
In addition to the above, poisoning of the environment, water and animal food can also pose a great danger to children and people in the neighborhood, and such acts should be stopped, reported and punished as soon as possible.