Activists- Caution - Orca Animal Organization in Serbia Requesting Funds

[Guest guest]

 

Marijo

Gillis [TwinkiePerkyEbby]

Thursday, April 28, 2005 7:29 PM

Orca Beograd

Activists- Caution - Orca

Animal Organization in Serbia

Requesting Funds

 

 

 

Mr. Burazerovic,

 

 

Orca Beograd

 

 

Serbia

 

 

 

 

 

I dare say Mr. Burazerovic, that you have

a well written, cookie cutter response to everyone who contacts your

organization, The verbiage you use, appears to resemble that of

WSPA and the facts you detail, could easily be applied to animal issues in any

part of the globe.

 

 

 

 

 

I am sad to say that your

credibility and that of the organization that you run is very unhealthy and

becoming more unhealthy every day. Animal advocates in Belgrade claim that you work complicity with government officials and

promote euthanasia and not adoptive services. You

ask for money ! Serb citizens claim that your organization is quite

interested in obtaining funds but does not put those funds to work to advance

animal welfare in Serbia.

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly, Mr. Burazerovic, until

my organization sees proof

and hears back from contacts in Belgrade that you and ORCA do indeed " work " to benefit

the neglected and abused animal population, you will most certainly not be

receiving any funds from our organization or my family's foundation.

Further, we will caution citizens around the world to use prudence when opening

their hearts and wallets to organizations in Serbia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder

Welfare for Animals in Greece

Welfare for Animals Global, Inc.

(a New York City non-profit advocacy & political lobby group, reaching the

world)

Tel. (212) 427-0587 Fax (212) 427-6381

E-Mail Twinkieperkyebby

 

 

 

 

 

" Compassion for all life - the only

way to a better world "

 

 

 

-

 

 

Orca Beograd

 

 

Marijo Gillis

 

 

Thursday, April 28, 2005 4:01 PM

 

 

Re: Animal Abuse in Serbia

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr Gillis,

 

We have received

your e-mail expressing your concern over mistreatment of animals in our

country. Unfortunately, some of your concerns are well founded.

 

The present state of animal protection in Serbia is at an unsatisfactory

level.

A lack of interest and knowledge about the necessity to protect animals;

indifference and the unwillingness to recognize the basic needs of animals (as

well as the implications an irresponsible attitude towards animals can have on

the standard of living); even disrespect of animals and the people who care for

them — are traditional concepts in our society. A bad social, political

and economic situation, as well as a degradation of moral values and overall

standard of living in the past two decades, have significantly facilitated the

aforementioned concepts, but cannot be considered as their sole cause.

 

The approach of the media to the problem of the

protection of animals in our country is inadequate. TV and radio programs, as well as

newspaper articles about the well-being of animals and the need to protect them

only exceptionally address the issue or totally ignore it. The problems that

occur between people and animals is approached without valid criticism, and

animals and their natural patterns of behaviour are accused for the occurrence

of these problems, not the irresponsible and inappropriate attitude that the

citizens and social institutions have towards the prevention and the solution

of these problems. Little importance is given to the position and the reactions

of societies for the protection of animals. On the other hand, in entertaining

shows and newspaper columns a great importance is attached to inappropriate

ways of animal exploitation, which offends the animals’ dignity or even

inflicts pain on them. Such events are commented as being funny and amusing,

with an approving attitude. In this way, the viewers are daily exposed to many

inappropriate attitudes to animals and are influenced to think about them in a

wrongful way — or not to think about them at all.

 

Curriculums in primary and secondary schools in

our country do not devote due attention to topics concerned with the protection of animals,

as entities. For educating pupils to respect animals and to treat them with

respect, a lot more credit can be given to the initiative of individual

teachers than to a systematic approach of this problem in the school

curriculums. Even units that can be found in the biology curriculum dealing

with ecology do not considerably contribute to developing awareness: the

meaning of the phrase “ecology” does not extend beyond the

preservation of biodiversity and environmental protection against pollution. In

short, a responsible attitude to animals as entities is not systematically

dealt with in school curriculums in this country.

 

Legal regulations concerning

the protection of animals in the Republic of Serbia are insufficient, and

the existing regulations have many shortcomings:

-

they

are not adequate for achieving the well-being of animals, that is, they are not

based on the premise of protecting the well-being of animals and they do not

include all animal species;

-

they

are not precisely formulated;

-

they

are not adequately supported by the institutions, which in the majority of

cases prevent their execution.

-

the

public does not recognize them as relevant, so they are not applied even in cases

when they are supported by institutions;

-

they

are not followed by adequate sanctions in accordance with a penal policy, whose

aim would be a general and a special prevention;

-

they

are not in accordance with the European standards.

 

Cruel abuse of animals is very frequent in our

country. Frequent cases of mutilation, blinding and killing of animals by

beating them to death, by stoning them, hanging and setting them on fire, and

by other cruel methods, are a true image of the state of animal protection in

Serbia. They are also indicators of the increase in overall aggression and the

increase of tolerance towards these patterns of behavior as well. Although

abusers belong to all age groups, the percentage of minors is especially disturbing,

to which our society does not attach enough importance because of the widely

accepted attitude that “child’s play” should not be taken

seriously.

 

Apart from the fact, that cases of cruel

maltreatment and killing of animals occur in individual cases, in our country

they are also associated with certain religious and quasi-religious rites, such

as those that are practiced by the Satanists. Ritual slaughter of dogs, cats,

or chickens represents a common an integral part of the Satanist rites, which are

evermore spreading in our country.

 

There is a big number of

abandoned animals in Serbia and in many towns the problem of strays is dealt with in inhumane way

(shooting, poisoning or inhuman catching by the dog catchers). However, this

does not occur everywhere. In 2001 the situation in OVCA- Belgrade was

particularly bad. (You can find the photographs from Belgrade pound on our

site). The situation has been improving year after year and it is much better

now. Hygiene is much improved, animals are regularly fed and euthanasia is done

in humane way by veterinary surgeons. Re-homing is also a possibility however,

unfortunately, only a small number of animals find new owners because simply

there are so many of them. Nevertheless, Belgrade still does not

have a proper shelter for abandoned animals, there are many cases of poisoning

by individual people (using

“kreozan”), the number of neutered animals is not

satisfactory, etc..

 

There is a good

will in Belgrade to solve the problem of homeless animals in humane way. The Steering

Committee, a body of the City Assembly Executive Council, was thus established

to deal with these issues. Six Belgrade associations entered the Committee through their representative. The

Draft Programme for dealing with the problem of homeless animals has been

produced and submitted to the authorities.

 

As you yourself

have emphasized our country is recovering after years of war and is going

through a difficult process of transition. In this context protection of

animals does not present a priority. ORCA and other organizations for the

protection of animals are trying to point to the necessity of caring about the

animals and humane treatment of them. ORCA has initiated a campaign “The

Law Deals with the Chaos” aiming at the introduction of law covering the

protection of animals which our country still does not have. ORCA also works a

lot with children and is trying to introduce learning about the responsible

attitude towards animals into the educational system in the Republic of Serbia. There

are other campaigns and initiatives as well. You can find more about them on www.orca.org.yu.

 

We find

assistance from foreign organizations and individual donors priceless. I hope that

you will possibly also assist us in a concrete way. Namely, since 2000 ORCA has

been working hard on reducing the suffering of the animals. Big part of this

work has been financed by generous individuals who love animals. Each year ORCA

receives over 1500 calls and e-mails. Many of them are seeking help or reports

of terrible cases of mistreatment of animals. Each of these was reported to the

relevant authorities. We need your help to be able to continue.

 

If you would

like to financially assist us from abroad please do contact us and we will be

glad to advise you on how to do it. Any donation will be more then welcome and

directed towards our campaigns in protecting the animals.

 

 

Finally, let us

thank you once again on behalf of many people in our country who find the

wellbeing of animals important, for your interest.

 

Best Regards,

 

Elvir

Burazerovic

President of

ORCA

 

 

Marijo Gillis

<TwinkiePerkyEbby wrote:

 

We are very disturbed to view documentation

regarding the barbaric treatment of abandoned companion and zoo animals in Serbia. We have been in touch by telephone to compassionate parties

in Serbia and we request information regarding your organizations attempt to

ameliorate such atrocities and intervene with the pertinent government

officials..

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly, the information should be

forthcoming and to my attention as soon as possible..

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your urgent attention to

this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

Marijo Gillis

 

 

 

 

 

Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder

Welfare for Animals in Greece

Welfare for Animals Global, Inc.

(a New York non-profit advocacy & political lobby group)

Tel. (212) 427-0587 Fax (212) 427-6381

E-Mail Twinkieperkyebby

 

 

 

 

 

" Compassion for all life - the way to

a better world "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizacija za postovanje i brigu o zivotinjama - ORCA

 

 

 

 

 

Adresa:

Masarikova 5/XVI

 

 

 

ORCAinfo

tel: 064 235 325 9

 

 

 

Fax:

+ 381 11 306 15 21

 

 

e-mail:

orcabeograd (za javnost)

 

 

e-mail:

orcamediji (za novinare)

 

 

Web:

www.orca.org.yu

 

 

ORCA

Savetovaliste za zastitu zivotinja: Prote Mateje 36,

 

 

svake

srede od

17 do 19 casova, tel. 243-86-53 (ulaz iz dvorista)