L'articolo Animal Rights March in Zurich: OIPA’s Swiss member league “Atra” took part in it proviene da OIPA.

KOSOVO: AN EXAMPLE ON HOW NOT TO CONDUCT A STATE CNVR PROGRAM

The Kosovar Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) launched a state sterilization program after the parliament’s decision to earmark 1.3 Mio Euro in the next 3 years to solve the stray dog problem in the country. The program officially started at the beginning of June of this year, after the signature of the contracts with veterinary groups in all regions of the country.

CNVR is short for Collect Neuter Vaccinate and Return that means free roaming dogs are collected, sterilised, vaccinated, labelled and taken back to the place where they were initially caught.

However, there is no strategy behind the state CNVR programme in Kosovo, which is turning out to be a failure.

SELECTION PROCESS: LARGE ANIMAL VETS

Firstly, no check on the qualifications of the mandated veterinarians has been carried out beforehand.

SVSP Slovenian Vets for Stray Pets and StrayCoCo, two organizations working for the wellbeing of street dogs, organized two postgraduate seminars to raise abilities and skills on dog sterilization techniques and the proper functioning of CNVR programs. However, only 16 vets participated in the seminars and the FVA showed no interest in this initiative. Instead of considering the applications made by those vets who attended the meetings, the Agency had different selection priorities.

In fact, the tender was finally assigned mainly to large animals vets who work in big farms. These vets are not specialized in the treatment of pets, such as dogs, of course.

Some months ago, the President of the Veterinary Chamber of Kosovo, Dr. Xhevdet Krasniqi, told our representative Helen Wormser that every veterinarian should have a chance to get a “piece of the cake”, in his words.

INCOMPETENCE DURING THE “SPAY/NEUTER” PHASE OF THE PROGRAM

The above-mentioned problem- the limited knowledge and capabilities necessary for the surgical sterilization of dogs- led to an unknown but high number of injuries and deaths among the free-roaming dog population.

You can see below the results of the lack of qualification to spay/neuter dogs.

These pictures above were taken in Dragash. Look at this dog, whose belly was split open. It is probably because of shoddy suture material or the vets’ poor skills. He has no other injuries, so every claim that he had an accident are helpless excuses. Like this dog, many other dogs suffer from infections after unsterile surgeries.

INCOMPETENCE DURING THE “RELEASE” PHASE

In a CNVR program, it is crucial to return the sterilised dogs to the point of capture. When the majority of the stray animals is sterilized and returned to the same area, the population will diminish and the problem will be nipped in the bud.

The Kosovar CNVR program is showing a lack of correct “release” phase. Although it is crucial to bring the dogs back in the area where they were picked up, the veterinary groups use to dump them far away.

Some days ago, those dogs were released in a new place in Prishtina.  They are defending their new territory, which makes them dangerous in the eyes of many citizens. “Those dogs have a territory somewhere, but not here”, as witnesses say.

It is clear that many dogs will starve abandoned in the woods, while others will start fighting in a turf war.

CNVR is generally accepted as the most effective solution to the overpopulation of stray animals.

The state should provide opportunities to develop training programmes for veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary nursing staff in collaboration with NGOs that focus on improving veterinary capacity. In addition, veterinarians’ curricula should include small animals (pet) medicine – and not only large animal medicine. Furthermore, a number of different stakeholders should be involved in planning and implementation, including the veterinary profession, NGOs and dog owners themselves. Only qualified veterinarians should undertake surgical sterilization. All veterinarians performing medical interventions, surgery and/or training are expected to practice confidently and competently. The highest surgical standards and protocols should be adhered to, particularly given that many dogs going through a CNVR programme may be in a compromised state of health and/or living in a compromising environment.

It was not, of course, intention of the newly elected Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj to bring into being such a chaotic and badly performed dog population management program.

Last year he introduced the first state CNVR program to be executed by FVA, with the hope that Kosovo became a role model for the entire Balkan region in the field of humane dog population management.

This was not the case, as the program did not nearly fulfil the scientifically proven and correct standards of a CNVR work with a lasting effect and benefit for the country.

…BUT FORTUNATELY, THERE IS ALSO SOME GOOD NEWS…

THE FIRST VETERINARY CLINIC IN KOSOVO OPENS ITS DOORS IN GJAKOVA!

On 29th October 2018, the small animal clinic Gjakova opened its doors with its Sanctuary.

Located on a land of 5,000 m2, the clinic consists of boxes to separate sick and healthy dogs. The outside fenced area shall host temporary stray dogs under treatment and some steady guests, most of which handicapped dogs that still love their life.

The clinic is led by the couple DVM Blendi Bejdoni and DVM Eriola Bejdoni, both specialized on pets and both since 5 years engaged in an intense CNVR program, in the first 2 years financed by an American and since the beginning of 2015 by the Swiss StrayCoCo Foundation and its supporters.

The clinic aims at:

• Taking temporary care of free-roaming dogs, that will be released after being vaccinated and sterilised;
• Sterilising for free owned dogs of those people who cannot afford to pay for veterinary services;
• Becoming a centre of specialization on companion animals medicine;
• Sensitizing school age children, as well as adults, on responsible dog ownership;
• Homing those dogs that cannot be released;
• Healing animals’ suffering, but also euthanizing those dogs that will no longer experience a pain free life.

However, the clinic still lacks many materials and instruments. Its vets cannot do any laboratory tests and do not have a microscope or other diagnostic instruments, with the exception of an old X-Ray that was thankfully donated by a Swiss Veterinarian.

Please help this great group of vets’ diagnostic work and help them saving more and more dogs in Kosovo!

OIPA congratulates for such an important contribution to the wellbeing of dogs in Kosovo.

DONATE NOW TO STRAYCOCO- OIPA SWITZERLAND

CLICK HERE 

FB Page  https://www.facebook.com/straycoco/

L'articolo KOSOVO DOG POPULATION MANAGEMENT: GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS proviene da OIPA.

On the 16^th of June, the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj attended a film festival in Prizren, Kosovo.

As a reminder against dog killings in Kosovo and Albania, animal rights activists hold a symbolic gathering in front of the cinema. Protesters wore black for mourning.

Through this protest, organized by Animal Rights Foundation, activists urge the mayors of Tirana and Prizren to stop murdering street dogs and to implement an effective and humane program to control stray dogs in their respective cities and countries.

What is the current situation in Kosovo and Albania?

KOSOVO – In autumn 2016, the government of Kosovo planed a new regulation to euthanize all stray dogs. Such decision gave rise to protests from animal rights associations. StrayCoCo lobbied hard in the Kosovar institutions and at the end of February 2018, the Government finally decided to start a national CNVR program with the financial contribution of EUR 1.3 Mio by the Parliament.

It sounded like victory. However, the killings are continuing. Dogs are being poisoned and killed. It is clear that veterinarians do whatever they want. Moreover, a large number of them does not have the necessary skills.

ALBANIA – Read the full article and sign the petition addressed to the mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj against mass killings of stray dogs in his city launched twenty days ago by OIPA International.

CNVR PROGRAMS – THE ONLY VIABLE SOLUTION

Many countries choose to adopt, as solution for the stray dogs issue, massive killing campaigns, by shooting or poisoning or euthanizing the dogs.

Besides being inhumane, massive killing campaigns are totally useless: There are more unwanted strays than ever in places that continue with this counter-productive approach. If strays are removed permanently from an area, there is a vacuum – another set of animals will simply move in. CNVR breaks this cycle. This  approach is being used globally with success.

Mass killing of stray dogs is an expensive operation (munitions, weapons, veterinarians, collection and discharge of dead dogs have a high cost) and it is not a long lasting solution as it is impossible to kill the entire stray dog population of a city or country. Killing or catching and putting animals into shelters has merely a temporary effect.

The only viable solution to keep under control the number of stray dogs is a large-scale CNVR campaign. CNVR is a quick and efficient way to manage community dogs. The basic idea of a CNVR programme is to catch or collect the dogs, sterilize them, treat them if needed and after recovery, return them to the same place where they were caught. In this way the number of animals decreases slowly at the rate of natural mortality.

L'articolo Kosovar and Albanian animal rights activist united against mass killings of stray dogs in their countries proviene da OIPA.

The renovation works have already begun but we need funds for windows and doors, fences, boxes, water and so on. As Kosovo is very hot, the Center also needs as much shadow as possible.  The first two trees have been planted. They cost between 30-40 Euro, if small.

The Center will be the first place in Kosovo with sterile boxes, very important for the puppies, that often get Giardia and die of Parvovirus.

Help us raise money for THE FIRST ANIMAL CLINIC IN KOSOVO!!!

DONATE NOW TO STRAYCOCO- OIPA SWITZERLAND

CLICK HERE 

FB Page  https://www.facebook.com/straycoco/

Other ongoing activities:

Straycoco’s activities in favour of stray dogs in Kosovo continue. The team is currently engaged in a sterilisation campaign in the municipalities of Gjakova, Rahovec, Malishevo, Mamusha and Decan. They also started to chip and register dogs and their owners, realising also a short film aimed at raising the awareness of the people and the institutions about the urgency of a controlling program over dog keepers:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p3KJlvy30I

In the municipalities of Gjakova and Decan, Straycoco served veterinarians with chips and chipreader asking them to chip all farmer dogs.

The collaboration between Straycoco and veterinaries seeks to propagate among the population the awareness of the importance of registering dogs owners and chip their dogs. At the same time, the team carries out actions to inform and motivate dog keepers that let their dogs roam, to sterilise them.

L'articolo STRAYCOCO IS NOW BUILDING THE FIRST ANIMAL CLINIC IN KOSOVO! proviene da OIPA.

Since January 2015 the two Veterinarians DVM Blendi Bejdoni from Kosovo and DVM Eriola Palla from Albania, both living in Gjakova, have been non-stop on the road for 6 days a week to take care of stray dogs in the Western part of Kosovo. They are the only veterinarians in this country to neuter and treat huge numbers of stray dogs. Nearly 3500 dogs – most of them street dogs or owned dogs of poor people – have got treatment up to now. All this has been made possible in a country which up to now did not have any animal protection organisation helping pets. The two veterinarians work with four helpers to collect the dogs so they can be neutered/spayed, vaccinated and if necessary treated against disease or injuries.

The objective of the CNVR (catch-neuter-vaccinate-release) program is to prevent puppy births with the aim to reduce the stray dog population in general. Abandoned or feral dogs – in particular puppies – suffer an abysmal life before they miserably perish. The veterinary treatment improves their life quality – at least short term. The importance is to prevent the endemic growth of the street dog population sustainably and in a fashion to comply with animal protection rules. On the other side, the vaccination of street dogs is also the best way to prevent rabies. Deworming – which is possible at the same time protects people in poor countries from Echinococcus multilocularis (known as fox tapeworm).

For sick dogs there is a sanctuary in Nagavc/Rahovec – these dogs are no longer released after treatment. In Kosovo there is not a single animal home.

This project has been made possible through the cooperation with the small Swiss foundation StrayCoCo – OIPA Swizerland. The foundation – CoCo means ‘Control through Cooperation’ operates with people who cooperate on the spot and with mutual control by willing government bodies and private people. CNVR works to achieve a sustainable effect, which necessitates the cooperation with primary schools on responsible dogownership as well as the inclusion of local politicians and administrations.

Both veterinarians visit primary school classes regularly. They are also responsible for the negociations with local politicians. Up to now they have been successful in the following communities in the West: Gjakova, Rahovec, Malishevo, Decan, Peja and the more southern Serbian exclave near Prishtina, Graçanica and the nearby Roma settlement Preoce.

By donating a single veterinary treatment for a stray dog, you protect people from contagious diseases such as rabies and fox tapeworm and at the same time stop the endemic increase of the dog population by neutering in an way to protect the animal’s dignity.

Your donation of EUR 45.— allows us to treat one dog, with EUR 4500.—100 dogs could receive treatment.

STRAYCOCO FOUNDATION

L'articolo TREATMENT AND CASTRATION OF STRAY DOGS IN KOSOVO proviene da OIPA.

The team of StrayCoCo Foundation “Pro Vet Nagavc“ rescued the dog with ropes out of this hole and put him at once on IV-Fluid, hoping he would survive. For the next 24 hours he was on intravenous nutrition, but it did not help. Just once he went into the court outdoor, took some sniffs, then went to lie down and took his last breath only 36 hours after he was rescued.

There was already a family ready to adopt him, but unfortunately he did not make it.

This is a very cruel method to kill a living creature – starving to death – and it happens very often in Kosovo, but there are also similar cases reported from Albania.

This is worse than any abandonment – which is to despise as well. Just try to be without food and water – and you will know how it feels starving. This dog was suffering many days and maybe week and no one cared.

There is no police, no veterinary agency, no politicians in Kosovo that would sue this criminal act of a person! Shooting of stray dogs, tying on an isolated tree, locking of dogs and puppies to starve to death in a fenced prison or poisoning them, is nearly daily business in some countries to get rid of dogs.

We ask all animal lovers to protest against a politic that does not respect living creatures, maltreat and torture dogs that have no one to speak up for them!

The world should know about the maltreatment of dogs on the Balkan – actually in Kosovo – and we will try to raise YOUR awareness about this issue.

This dog should not have died in vain.

HELP OIPA Switzerland – Stray Coco Foundation

to raise awareness on this issue and support the projects!

READ MORE HERE ABOUT STRAYCOCO AND SPAY/NEUTER PROJECTS IN KOSOVO AND ALBANIA.

L'articolo DOG FOUND STARVING TO DEATH AND RESCUED IN KOSOVO. UNFORTUNATELY HE PASSED AWAY, RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR HIM! proviene da OIPA.

StrayCoco Foundation is working in Albania in Shkodra with “Pro Qen Albania” and ” Animals need me” and in Fieri with „JETA Tier und Mensch“.

The vets working in this project are angels, they are very professional and fast, they work almost for free and in the mean time they provide the best care possible to this animals, from the capture to the release.

Many volunteers are investing their time and sources to help this dogs to live a better life and to be sterilized.

In Albania stray dogs are often victims of mistreatments and culls, this project promotes a different solution to treat straydog populations.

They are seeking vets to perform the surgeries pro bono and support for the costs. If you are a vet and you are interested contact us please.

Each dog sterilization costs about 45 euros.

Please support STRAYCOCO and give a hope to our dog friends!

DONATE NOW TO STRAYCOCO- OIPA SWITZERLAND

CLICK HERE 

The two cities where will take place the project:

Vlora: “Protect me Albania” FB: https://www.facebook.com/protectmevlore/?fref=ts

Shkodra: “Animals Need me” FB: https://www.facebook.com/animalsneedme/?fref=ts

STRAYCOCO – OIPA SWITZERLAND MISSION

We are all animal lovers and are willing to spend our money and time to improve their wellbeing. At the core of our efforts is the plight of the stray dog, as we notice – and you might too – the endemic growth of stray dogs worldwide. 

We wish that each dog will find his master, but if they do not, and are forced to live on the streets, we want them to be able to do so without living in fear of being hurt. We are convinced that there are ways for man and dog to live in peace together and to give each other support! We take care of the local people, who suffer under the enormous number of stray dogs, as they feel no longer safe – and it happens that small children are killed. The quality of life is much reduced in such municipalities.With CNVR we stop the increase of stray dogs and at the same time cure the dogs from diseases which might be contagious such as mange and rabies. We also give local veterinarians and helpers an income or additional income in the poorest country of Europe.

We try to build strong connections with local authorities, and encourage them to stop whatever inhumane practices are taking place, such as locking dogs in a compound without shelter and starving them  to death. 

We invest in education about dog behavior and basic needs, as we are convinced, that once people understand dogs, they will be less inclined to harm them out of fear, and shall also appreciate the needs of other animals too.

Last but not least we will support scientific work focusing on the endemic increase of the stray dog population and development of solutions. Applications are welcome!

And most important: We try to push laws for registration of dog owners and breeders – as well as education.

Dogs are not a waste product!

L'articolo STRAYCOCO FOUNDATION – OIPA SWITZERLAND IS PROMOTING STRAYDOG STERILIZATION IN ALBANIA: SUPPORT THEM! proviene da OIPA.

The Presentations were made by Dr. Helen Wormser, President of the Swiss StrayCoCo Foundation – talking about the topic of CNVR, Registration and Education – and Michele Minunno, Ethologist from Bari/Italy. Michele Minunno emphasised the need to study the stray dog behaviour before acting and warned about installing shelters in a country with many stray dogs. Not only the expenses for keeping dogs in shelters are enormous, also the life of a dog in a shelter does not meet its needs. Furthermore he also pointed out, that killing stray dogs did not solve the problem, new dogs came in the not occupied territory and there was no end of reproducing. He pleaded to castrate stray dogs, so they cannot reproduce and release them in exact the territory where they were caught. So they get community dogs, accepted often by the citizens and staying in their territory protect it from other dogs to intrude. 
For most of the participants, it was completely new to learn that not all dogs should be neutered! The pack leaders should only get a Vasectomy, so they keep their Testosteron and can continue to manage their group. Else new – not castrated dogs – take over their territory and the citizens have new dogs in their quarter instead of the old and familiar ones.

This first seminar was a success, hundred vets took part to the conference at the “Fakulteti i Bujqësisë dhe Veterinarisë në Pristhinë”. After the seminary Oda e Veterinarisë invited all veterinarians to a training on the small cut Ovariectomy in the next month. So we are anxious to know, how many veterinarians from Kosovo specially will decide to learn this techniqe. On the whole this was a very special and unique event in Kosovo.

L'articolo FIRST STRAY DOG SEMINAR IN KOSOVO – OVER 100 VETS FROM MACEDONIA, KOSOVO AND ALBANIA PARTECIPATED proviene da OIPA.

In two days 50 dogs were treated, some of them injured or sick. Hundreds of dogs are straying in Shkodra, thousands in all municipalities and villages of Albania. There are citizens that care for them and are happy when they are brought back to their territory in Shkodra. That is why the veterinary teams like to work there. Most people of Albania would be very relieved if finally the state would care and resolve the stray dog situation in a humane way. Living in this country is like in other Balkan states very hard for citizens that care for animals or that fear animals.

With this action we want to show once more, that all Albanian municipalities should start a CNVR program. Our team works in Kosovo and can demonstrate, that the CNVR work is very efficient in stopping reproduction of owned and stray dogs, if the political support is there. 

Read more about OIPA Switzerland acitvities: https://www.oipainternational.org/oipaswitzerland/

L'articolo OIPA SWITZERLAND – OVER 50 DOGS TREATED IN TWO DAYS IN SHKODRA, ALBANIA proviene da OIPA.

Awareness campaigns among the local populations are essential in order to reduce the stray dog population and guarantee animal and human health. If people is informed about animal welfare and behaviour and how to deal with straydogs, it is likely thet episodes of massive poisoning and dog killings won’t happen anymore.

STRAY COCO HAS FOUR TASKS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

1. Education of children
2. Formation of young or untrained veterinarians
3. Formation of shelter workers 
4. Education through information

INFORMATION DAYS FOR CHILDREN

This year StrayCoCo took another important step: Educating children at the primary school in Gjakova. Their veterinarians visited every hour another class, with two puppies, and introduced the flyer from Anna Fleischhauer to teach children to understand dogs and the stray dog problem. Some children have for the first time in their life a puppy in their hands. All of them study seriously the flyer and ask many questions about dog behavior. 

CNVR – STRAYCOCO MOST IMPORTANT PROGRAM

Continuos training of interested veterinarians in 2016

Again StrayCoCo veterinarians offer to students in their last year or veterinarians that are specialized on large animals, how to spay and neuter dogs with a small cut. This year  DVM Dardan Pozhegu from Pristina spent one day at Pro Vet Klinika in Nagavc. 

Last year the dutch volunteer vet Birgit Brants trained DVM Henrik Nulleshi, DVM Ernest Nulleshi and DVM Adrian Mulla from the veterinary station in Peja, so that they can any time take over this work for their municipality.

It is wonderful to have their support.

Please Donate, so that we can continue NON STOP with our program in West Kosovo.

EDUCATION THROUGH INFORMATION

StrayCoCo try to profit from the circumstance, that most Kosovarians use Facebook. Their program is to post regularly during the year comics about stray dogs to make everyone understand, where they come from. StrayCoCo volunteer cartoonist EL ZONKO from DE-Halle a.S. is creating new cartoons every few months. If you have any idea, which topic should be posted, just write us: info@straycoco.com

ANIMAL CARE TRAINING

Let us not forget to mention the training of StrayCoCo workers in animal care. Most of the time DVM Blendi Bejdoni and DVM Eriola Palla instruct StrayCoCo workers. Then Meg Ardner, retired US Army Officer, works with the dogs at the Sanctuary and shows the workers how to care for them. Finally Athina Löhrer and Jasmin Rosenberger, two 2nd year apprentices in the Swiss shelter Strubeli/Hegnau spent one week End of May 2016 in Nagavc Sanctuary and Pro Vet clinic, where they showed all clinic-employees and shelter workers how to clean a shelter and how to care for dogs.

Support OIPA Switzerland StrayCoCo, CLICK HERE 

L'articolo OIPA SWITZERLAND – STRAY COCO, EDUCATION IS THE KEY FOR ANIMALS IN KOSOVO proviene da OIPA.