Today, on January 28, 2022, the mayor of Prishtina, Mr. Përparim Rama, has organized a roundtable discussion with many actors, including the central level (KVFA, MAFRD, MLGA), to discuss urgent measures to be taken in order to significantly improve the issue of stray dogs in the coming months and years.
The municipality of Prishtina has already contracted the veterinary entity “AV Veterina 1” with veterinarian DMV Shefki Ajdini for the treatment of stray dogs with the CNVR method in the Municipality of Prishtina, and the mayor also announced that he has initiated procedures for feeding points and the construction of the Center for Temporary Treatment for stray animals, according to the Administrative Instruction (MAFRD) 04/2017.
It is worth mentioning that the Municipality of Prishtina will not build “shelters” as pronounced and no non-governmental organization has been contracted for the treatment of stray dogs, but an economic operator, as mentioned above.
During the inter-institutional municipal meeting Mrs. Alexandra Hammond Seaman was also present, from the EU project “Support to establishing disease surveillance and control programs and alignment with Chapter 12 of the acquis” which supports KVFA to propose sustainable measures for the management of the dog population, after numerous requests and of our organization to address the issue of stray dogs with a strategic institutional approach. Mrs. Hammond-Seaman has more than 20 years of experience in dog management and control programs and is also part of RSPCA, one of the oldest organizations in the world for animal protection. Mrs. Hammond-Seaman who made it clear that shelters alone will not be and are not a sustainable solution if the source of the problem is not tackled. However, animal shelter should be established, but planned jointly with a) Identification & registration of animals with keepers/owners, b) Control of breeders and prohibition of illegal and unlicensed breeding and c) Mandatory castration/sterilization of dogs with owners who roam freely on the street.
Since 2015, the “StrayCoCo” organization and Mrs. Helen Wormser has proposed that the issue of stray dogs be addressed from the root of the problem. StrayCoCo has provided former KFVA chief, Valdet Gjinovci with a study visit to understand how dog identification & registration works but unfortunately, genuine advice has not been heeded so far.
We are happy that both the local and the central level have started to address the problem by understanding it. However, concrete actions remain to be seen from both sides.
During the meeting it was requested that the neighboring municipalities cooperate and hold as soon as possible a coordination and cooperation meeting on the issue of stray dogs so that every step and measure to address this issue is effective and as sustainable as possible.
The measures proposed during the meeting were:
– Identification and registration of dogs with owners
– CNVR programs to be active at all times to have the desired effect;
– Establishment of feeding points for stray dogs
– Information campaigns for keeping dogs responsibly
– Control of dog breeders
– Subsidizing for the castration/sterilization of dogs with keepers/owners
– Temporary Care Centers and rescue centers or foster families
– Neighborhood caretakers for stray animals
– Municipal inspectors for veterinarians and responsible keeping of dogs in the Municipality
– Dog Park
All these measures should be taken in parallel, in order to create a sustainable system of management of the dog population.
Dogs on the street are just a consequence of a bigger problem, which is the lack of control of dogs with owners.
It is important to note that whatever measures are taken, proper monitoring is required to ensure their proper implementation.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the Office of the Prime Minister is committed to provide support to municipalities in the framework of the ‘national strategy’ regarding the issue of stray dogs.
