Why stray dog shelters should not be built in Kosovo

January 3, 2019 admin

As for informing the general public:

The stray dog Management and Control project, implementing the CATCH, NEUTER, VACCINATE, RELEASE program, is currently the most sustainable one, because a) it will ensure that the stray dogs will be treated medically and morally, which would help them grow healthier and happier (with additional work to care for them after their treatment by the social communities – with food and clean water) and b) by their castration and sterilisation, their number will be
reduced during the upcoming years, in Kosovo (if the project is implemented as foreseen).

Why building Shelters isn’t a wise, effective and sustainable choice in this situation such as Kosovo is right now?

Not even any general study or analyses has been conducted in the past years, on the station of stray dogs in Kosovo – to know, how much they are in our country and how much they get abandoned from irresponsible owners every year. Without these general information/data and without law enforcement, not even a feasibility studies could be conducted for such projects (shelters, treatments, potential needs for further dog care, risks, necessary playground spaces and entertainment / socialisation for dogs, etc.), and without a feasibility study(s), the Government of Kosovo and the Municipalities will not be able to plan an accurate budget for the maintenance and sustainability of any shelter that should be build based on proper criteria.

Some Municipalities indeed have built public shelters, but not in accordance with strong criteria and principles that would guarantee a dignified treatment for the well-being of the sheltered animals. Although now, these shelters have become inactive by the municipalities themselves. This is a good thing, because the dogs are able to move freely, without being locked in brutally.

The Municipality of Gracanica and Municipality of Peja, have proven their failure in regard to this and proved that the work to sustain a shelter is not easy at all – especially if it is not planned and managed properly.

We ask you to look at some of the pictures of two failed Shelters in Kosovo and reason behind it.