I
realise that it is extremely hard to
follow the numerous papers and reports concerning the Serbian dogs and
cats. Those of you who end up like me with their mouths
open and with a
feeling of hopelessness, as you read these animal reports so full of
things we can't properly understand, I say to you the answer is just
to
CARE.
These panic-stricken animals in Serbia, dogs and cats which
are caught wandering, go to their death in an
unbelievably cruel
way. The Serbian Animals Voice web site provides details of
how
terrible it all
is, and reading it may be upsetting. All I wish to say is to
get
involved, speaking up if you can, put your messages of support
on
their
website. Words are all we have, but words travel and will one
day shame the people of Serbia who make these animals' lives so
painful,
and shame all of us.
Luv to all Animal
People
Carla
Serbian Animals Voice
For several years now, Carla has been working with UK and Serbian
animal welfare campaigners, to improve the treatment and conditions of
stray and roaming animals primarily within Serbia, but also other
Balkans states.
An overview of the entire Serbian campaign and issues of other Balkans
states can be viewed by visiting the site of “Serbian Animals
Voice”, (SAV), which can be found at http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/
SAV have been seeking support from the European Union (EU) with regard
the issue of Serbian strays. As Serbia is not currently an EU member state, the process has been all the more
difficult. Serbia is hoping to gain EU membership (Accession)
within the next few years.
European nations, i.e. current EU member states, do not have any form of
a convention for the protection of pets and stray animals.
Now it is time that this changes.
Mr. Alain Hutchinson, a Belgian Member of the European Parliament
(MEP), is committed to cooperate for animal welfare and to get a
“European Convention Protecting Pets and Stray
Animals” passed in the EU Parliament as soon as possible.
EU Commissioner Kyprianou, whose portfolio includes the issue of animal
welfare, had already proposed, on September 2006, a European Convention
on this subject. However, when it was presented to the Member States,
it could not be voted in as it lacked the necessary quotas of approval,
these being: At least 55% of all votes cast, and at least 55%
of Member States, and at least 65% of countries of the European Union.
The above three criteria cannot be modified, and if the figures are not
met or passed, then the Convention will never see the light of day.
These criteria are obsolete, do not take into consideration the
situation of animals in the new EU member states and its demands are
out of proportion with the current plight of animals, which has
deteriorated throughout Europe.
A European Convention was signed in Strasbourg on 13/11/1987. European
Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals - Strasbourg, 13.XI.1987 http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/125.htm
The Council of Europe is supposed to meet every five years to bring
this Convention up to date but unfortunately this has not been followed
through. Romania and Bulgaria are particularly representative of the
cruelty perpetrated on stray animals within existing EU member states,
Romania and Bulgaria both now being members.
If the European Parliament and the European Union want to be consistent
with the values that they preach, they need to bring in legislation to
protect pet and stray animals across the entire EU. New EU
legislation protecting pet and stray animals would be beneficial in two
ways:
1 it would establish EU wide legislation
for pet and stray animal welfare
2 future EU member states seeking
accession, such as Serbia, would need to ensure that their animal
welfare legislation was brought up to a standard certainly equal to the
(currently proposed) EU Convention regulations. This can only
be a massive plus for animals in Serbia.
Every day animal welfare organisations located all over Europe receive
cries of help relating to the massacres perpetrated on domestic
animals. It is common to witness the aggressive capture of stray
animals which is then soon followed by a long-lasting and usually
agonising death. These images are shocking. SAV has a section
on its site which provides more images:
http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/photographs-warning-animal-suffering/
Tenets of the Framework Law to be established by the EU Parliament
would include:
•
Severely punish those who publicly abandon an animal;
• Animals should be identified
upon purchase by their owner with an electronic chip as the law
foresees across Europe as of 2007;
• Severely punish all
mistreatment of animals in accordance with a future law to be applied
throughout the European Union; and
• Establish a policy of birth
control, i.e. draw up a budget with the aim of:
o
Organizing and funding a Europe-wide trap, neuter, release
and vaccination program for millions of stray animals in Europe;
o Constructing shelters that conform to
the norms in place within the EU;
o Subsidizing these shelters to ensure
that the animals are comfortably housed, fed and treated in time; and
Financing the post of a shelter director for each shelter and ensure
that his role is carried out to a minimum Europe wide standard.
A copy of the full EU Convention for pet and stray animals can be seen
at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/125.htm
And so, in order to achieve the figures necessary for this Convention
TO ACTUALLY see the light of day, your personal help and support is
necessary.
All it takes is literally a minute or less of your time and also for
you to please spread the word (via e mail contacts) about this to
everyone that you know and have on your e mail contacts listing.
Time is of the essence, we probably only now have until December this
year – every day not achieving the totals means more animals
across Europe die – its as simple as that. Every
day gaining more signatures means that the new Convention will be a day
nearer to enforcement.
Signatures for the petition can be made on line at the following link:
https://ssl.etn-ev.de/resolution/index.htm
If you are a European Union member state citizen, then please act NOW,
don’t delay, as delay means animal deaths which could be
prevented.
Thank You.
On behalf of all pets and strays across Europe, in current EU member
states or not.
Mark Johnson
Co-Founder – “Serbian Animals Voice”
(SAV) – Kent, England.
For more information on the SAV alliance, please visit us at: http://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/about-us/
“I am the voice of the voiceless:
Through me, the dumb shall speak;
Till the deaf world's ear be made to hear
The cry of the wordless weak”.
Voice of the Voiceless by Ella Wheeler Wilcox