On September 17, 2021, our organization submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and other responsible institutions, the proposal for a national strategy for the management of the stray dog population, through humane, effective, and sustainable measures.
This strategy is the result of many months of work of our organization, including research, monitoring of CNVR projects in Kosovo, and working with central and local institutions in Kosovo. This document was promised by our organization, during the meeting of April 26, 2021, with the deputy PM of Kosovo, Mr. Besnik Bislimi, whom we have asked to appoint a ‘task force’ (consisting mainly of MAFRD and FVA) as facilitators and leaders of work related to the management and control of the stray dog population in the country.
The strategy is based on the best practices of EU countries, as well as the proposals for humane and sustainable measures of world organizations such as ICAM, World Animal Protection, Eurogroup for Animals, LAV, WHO, OIE, etc.
The strategy also includes the legal analysis of the responsibilities and authorizations of the relevant institutions regarding the control and management of the dog population, which clarifies the competencies and responsibilities of the central and local level in relation to this situation.
A range of measures need to be considered to implement a successful and effective stray dog management program in Kosovo. These important measures are:
- Identification and registration of dogs as companion animals throughout the Republic of Kosovo
- Education in schools and awareness-raising of society
- Strict control of breeding and sale of dogs
- Subsidizing the castration and sterilization of dogs with owners
- Continuous control of reproduction of dogs on the street through the CNVR method
- Temporary Care Centers (TCC) and rescue centers
- Presentation of ‘neighborhood caretakers for stray animals’
- Control of access to resources
Through these measures, and other measures such as the implementation and improvement of animal protection legislation, the number of stray dogs will be reduced to a minimum, if there is inter-institutional commitment and coordination to advance the process of measures proposed in the strategy.
In addition to requesting a meeting from the Office of the Prime Minister to present the strategy, our organization also publicly calls on the responsible institutions to review and approve the proposal for a national strategy, and to seriously engage in the implementation of the proposed measures.
Only a strategic approach can result in a humane and effective management of the dog population, and by no means half-baked projects, which find neither proper implementation nor proper monitoring.
To read the strategy, click on the photo below.
