We are quite disappointed and very concerned that somehow even dogs (other than humans) are becoming victims of nasty political games.
However, we must say that the article contains indeed, criticisms and suggestions that should be in general taken into consideration, if we talk about monitoring all institutions who give out tenders for the treatment of stray dogs; – not as specified here, only in the Municipality of Pristina, but throughout Kosovo.
We conclude this, because in 2018, approximately 1.3 million Euros were spent, from the state tender with which the Food and Veterinary Agency said to have had castrated 14,000 stray dogs throughout Kosovo. We have constantly sought to see the data on the declared castration of dogs and to be part of the transparency of these processes, especially the castration part, in order to see how our money is being spent and how well the welfare of dogs throughout the treatment is being respected. However, the FVA has not given us access to the documents in which we have full rights for access. Anyhow, the Ombudsperson Person Institution is dealing with this case and the violation by FVA.
Moreover, the Food and Veterinary Agency has also tendered 111,000 euros at the MALAfarm company, which is a pharmaceutical company and allegedly the most “appropriate” to make citizens aware and inform them about stray dogs. In the tender contract, it is noted that this company should deliver an annual report on the activities implemented on awareness, promotion and information; but there is no report as such, which shows how this company has spent the taxpayers’ money. At this point, we urgently need institutional monitoring implementation assistance, as we are talking about misuse of public funds.
We are also constantly in cooperation with the Municipality of Prishtina and the Municipality of Prizren on finding the most sustainable solutions to the situation of the stray dog population. Solutions and measures that certainly also cover great importance to protecting the welfare of stray dogs, in addition to protecting people from possible attacks by them, which come precisely because some citizens are mean to them (not only because of the lack of their castration).
Both, the Municipality of Prishtina and the Municipality of Prizren are also planning to build a center called “Temporary Care Center for Stray Animals” as foreseen by the Administrative Instruction 04/2017. This surely is the first time in Kosovo, that municipalities are planning to build something for stray animals, based on a regulatory framework that protects their well-being as well.
This means, in these two municipalities the TCCs will be built and managed by they themselves and in which they will hire fixed veterinarians in the facility, who will carry out the work of various treatments and CNVR of stray animals; – a work which currently is being implemented by the Animal Treatment Center in Harilaq, contracted by the Municipality of Pristina for 2019.
Precisely for the contracted center in Harilaq, we have been organizing with the Municipality of Pristina for the monitoring of their work; Our organization has made during 2018, approximately 60 visits to the veterinary winning subjects of the state tender mentioned above. Even these current projects need monitoring as fast as possible! Over the next few weeks, along with the ‘National Coordinator’ of stray dogs in Kosovo and the Municipality of Pristina, we will be monitoring the work that is being done in Harilaq.
In the Municipality of Prizren, we already have the green light to monitor the work of the winning veterinary clinic for this year: “NTP Rudina”. Even the main veterinarian in charge has given us space for a cooperation in this regard.
Dog attacks will be reduced only if we educate/make aware people more, on the peaceful relationship between humans and non-human animals.