Our organization constantly receives complaints about crimes committed with dogs, involving them in terrible fights with other dogs. Many people commit this crime in Kosovo and the Kosovo Police rarely take quick steps against these negative and extremely abusive phenomena for dogs, because often the state itself does not have adequate and comprehensive measures to mitigate or eliminate this phenomenon.
Dog fights and the organization of any event that causes unnecessary pain and suffering to animals, is considered animal cruelty and is considered a criminal offense, according to Article 346 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo. But this article alone, seems not to be enough to catch the perpetrators and rescue the dogs with dignity.
Our organization, together with other activists, found in April 2020, six (6) dogs locked in an uninhabited location in the Municipality of Fushë Kosovë. With a police patrol, and a veterinarian, the activists of the organization took the dogs and rescued them from that terror place. One of the dogs died because of serious health problems, while the others are in a safe place, fostered, until they find adopters.
The April case was reported to the police by us and the suspects R.B and A.C were questioned by the police. The case is still pending in court. The suspects were minors.
Today, on August 18, 2020, again, two Pit Bull dogs were found in the same place. Fushë Kosovë / Kosovo Polje police showed up very quickly, both for the first time and for the second time and confiscated the dogs from that place immediately. Our activists have found temporary shelter again, but the dogs cannot stay in that shelter for long. The sheltering requires funding and veterinary medical treatment.
The Kosovo state has no shelter for these cases, nor do we want to imagine what a state-run shelter might look like. Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency fails to manage a simple castration and neutering project, where dogs die through a torturous death by veterinarians, let not alone them managing a dog shelter.
KVFA also misuses public money by spending 111,000 euros on imaginary awareness projects and ARF and many other activists have to spend out of their own money to find adequate places for dog fighting-rescued dogs.
The Fushë Kosovë Police was efficient and are taking this case seriously, but in general the Kosovo Police turns a blind eye to these apparently abusive and dangerous phenomena for both dogs and humans.
With this post, we call on the relevant institutions:
- Kosovo Police: to respond quickly to our calls when we announce the organization of terrible dog matching or fights;
- To the government: provide funds for rescue cases because dogs are also sentient creatures that deserve protection;
- KVFA: To mobilize the inspectors it has or to hire external inspectors, to continuously monitor the keeping of accompanying animals in Kosovar families. While they mis-spend 111,000 euros on alleged awareness-raising projects, they can direct them to pay additional inspectors, with temporary work contracts;
- Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office: to take these cases seriously and not to release the abusers with light sanctions, but with maximum punishments, which envisages imprisonment of up to one year.
- Municipalities of Kosovo: to make more awareness projects for their citizens, constantly emphasizing that dog fights are also a danger to society and not only to the poor dogs;
Prishtina, August 18, 2020
