Among these groups, the OIPA member league Gorlovka Social Organization on Stray Animals Defence runs a shelter in the Donetsk region with about 140 dogs and cats. The shelter opened in April 2011 and it survives thanks to the work of volunteers and their donations, which allow paying sterilizations and maintenance.
The municipal authorities of Gorlovka don’t help the shelter and they even require the payment of the rent.

It’s necessary to expand the structure and create a veterinary clinic inside the shelter. The presence of the veterinary will be fundamental, because he can ensure medical cares in case of emergency and he will monitor daily the health of the animals. That’s why the project is to renovating an abandoned old building to use it as a veterinary clinic.
This useful project will be monitored and supported by OIPA, thanks to donations received for Ukraine animals.

Donetsk area is sadly famous because of the pit used by the municipality to throw dead dogs. In January 2012, the OIPA member league made a shocking video of this macabre pit.

Weeks ago we told the terrible story of Nastia, the bear cub snatched from her mother in the Lutsk zoo for use it as a tourist attraction. The good news is that on the beginning of July the animal organization Four Paws rescued Nastia from the clutches of animal traders and removed her from the private zoo where she was prisoned.

Four Paws affirmed that Nastia has some health problems, such as underweight and malnourished because of poor nutrition, problems with teeth and diarrhea, so she was treated with antibiotics and vitamins. Nastia has been reunited with her mom Masha in Lutsk, who has slowly recognized her.

Four Paws fights for the liberation of brown bears in Ukraine and in other countries.
Watch the video of the rescue of Nasta by Four Paws:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDOV4Yy2ToY&feature=share

Elisa Norelli
OIPA International Campaigns Director

L'articolo OIPA UKRAINE: A CONCRETE PROJECT TO HELP STAYS proviene da OIPA.

Despite the issuing of the “Law against animal abuse and cruelty” in 2006, the Government started a brutal campaign against stray dogs in view of the EURO 2012 Championship, showing the population pictures of dogs attacking humans. As a result of this unprecedented hatred campaign, even animal activists are constantly subject to threats or abuse, as considered guilty for the only fact of nourishing and taking care of dogs.
The town houses three structures. For each of these 10,000 Euros have been financed, but there is no trace of these funds. Actually, funds for dog shelters and neutering campaigns are available.
Dogs are killed daily: Just on 27th November 9 dogs died and a whole pack of sterilized and non aggressive dogs being managed by voluntaries personally paying for their upkeep and sterilizations.
On 12 December, as we can see from photos by Andrea Cisternino, somebody killed three small dogs, one of which was sterilized a (red collar indicates that a dog is sterilized).

Andrea and Alexandra tell us that the Ukrainian situation about dogs has always been negative, but from 2010 number of killings has enormously increased because of the EURO 2012 Championship.
The deputy major of Kiev has recently said stray dogs killings will be prosecuted and in case of dead dogs, the police will be sent on the spot together with a veterinary who will perform autopsy in order to verify the poison used to kill it.
The Ministry of Environment has recently declared that killings will be stop for length of six months; en fact this term exactly coincides with the start with the games starts. What will happen once the public attention on this famous event subsides? We highlight that despite the country’s institutions declarations, the situation is still dreadful, we can only imagine the proportions that this mass massacre will assume.

Elisa Norelli
OIPA International Campaigns Director

L'articolo UKRAINE: FOOTBALL MATCHES FINISHED AND DOGS CONTINUES TO BE KILLED proviene da OIPA.