Be The Voice For Animals!
This year, World Animal Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and specifically in its northwest outpost and the first town towards the European Union – Velika Kladuša, will be celebrated with activism and a raised voice for animals that have no voice to defend themselves!
Stray dogs and cats are an everyday sighting on the streets of this town, and in every other town in B&H. They have no food, no water, no shelter. They die in horrible pain on the street, in the cold, starving and sich, with no veterinary help. Furthermore, the dogs often have to resort to breaking into farms and killing sheep and chickens. Not only that – in February this year, despite the clear regulations of the Animal Protection and Welfare Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the hunting organisation illegally slaughtered over 50 dogs in one of the municipal communities of the town.
The local animal protection society „Topla šapa“ („Warm Paw“) has been pressuring the local authorities to stop breaking the aforementioned law and start building an animal shelter, which would, along with continuous sterilisations, help put these innocent beings into a warm facility with food and water, and reduce their number on the street, towards the goal of no animal suffering on the street at all.
For this purpose, the society is planning a special radio show dedicated to October 4 – World Animal Day, with students and teachers of one of the town schools that try to help the stray dogs around the school the best they can. Much has been said about the „dangers“ of stray dogs around school yards, but not enough about the only effective and humane way to save them – which is always and only through compassion. The school in question feeds and takes care of puppies and grown dogs around the school, all the while trying to appeal and raise awareness on the connection between animal and human welfare.
Also, the petition started by the World Animal Day Ambassador for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Miss Ilhana Škrgi?, for citizens who want an animal shelter in Velika Kladuša has gone online and viral! The petition that will be handed personally by the ambassador to the mayor of this town and the municipal assembly can be signed here:
The World Animal Day activism in B&H doesn’t stop there – ambassador Škrgic has recently met with Mr. Željko Komši?, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (one of the presidents) and introduced him to the World Animal Day Initiative and its goals-this is the first step towards bringing the attention of high government officials to the important of respecting animal rights and the accompanying laws that Bosnia and Herzegovina already has.
Let us raise our voice for the voiceless! Let’s be the voice for animals!
- Contact Email: ilhana.skrgic@bih.net.ba
- Organised by: Ilhana Skrgic