We are all witness of a shocking and dangerous reality in which dogs are bred, raised, trained to fight with other dogs. People who keep dogs for wars, clearly violate Article 346 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo and cause unimaginable suffering to dogs.
In organizing dog wars, in addition to extreme abuse of dogs, it is also suspected that money bets are part of these fights.
Our organization has filed several criminal charges in recent months against persons who commit this crime and is constantly investigating other cases that appear. So far, no cases filed by our organization, or by other natural or legal persons, have been handled by the judiciary. Sanctions for this type of criminal offense in most cases are punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to 1 year and if the judiciary does not deal with the cases urgently, there is a risk that all reported cases will become statute-barred.
Our organization has also made a request to meet the Chief Prosecutor of Kosovo, Mr. Aleksandër Lumezi, so that this phenomenon is treated urgently and seriously by all prosecutors and not left aside as cases that require immediate attention. From the Office of the Chief Prosecutor, we have received a response, to wait for the requested meeting.
We will also ask the incoming Government to build (non-killing) rescue centers for dogs (animals) confiscated by abusive owners such as those who organize and participate in dogfights.
Without serious state plans and projects, only NGOs in Kosovo can not solve the many problems of animal cruelty.