The problem of abandoned animals cannot be solved from armchairs, it cannot be solved with training, projects and advisors. Equally, it cannot be solved without meetings with volunteers. The problem of abandoned animals can be solved by going out into the field every day, imposing harsh penalties and establishing a city service whose sole job will be to do this, said Preokret member Tamara Tomić.
In order to properly address the problem of abandoned animals, it is necessary to issue a public call for all animal owners to register their animals within three months, and for the Capital City to provide funds for vaccination and microchipping, she suggested.
"Another of the series of theoretical meetings on the problem of abandoned animals was held in the office of the Vice President of the Capital City. Another piece of trivia, as the people of Podgorica would say, and it used to mean a story for the sake of a story. Again, the story of the shelter at Ribničke springs, which is the only relatively bright spot in a sea of darkness when it comes to caring for abandoned and abused animals. The problem is not solved in an asylum, the asylum is the final point, emphasizes Tomić. He has an organization, he has people, he has a responsible person who, if he does not perform his duty, is subject to sanctions," Tomić stated in a statement sent to the media.
She assessed that the problem of Podgorica and all of Montenegro is not how to make a better and bigger asylum, but the real problem is the streets and the irresponsible owner.
"Why don't you take a walk, Vice President Ljiljanić, through the streets of your city, as you call it, why don't you go to the railway station, Konik and Vrela Ribnička and go into the streets and fields. Every single person who pet or feed a dog in trouble must be present at the meeting you promise to have with volunteers, the working group must be everyone, to tell you what kind of suffering we find animals in every day, to tell you that all these educations and projects have not made any serious progress in solving this problem," she pointed out. Tomić believes that we will only learn if people realize that they will be punished for being irresponsible owners, which will also fill the city coffers, which are emptied every year by hundreds of thousands of euros due to bites from stray dogs, which, she says, all have owners, but no one can prove it if they don't have a chip.
"But that shouldn't be your job either, but rather organize city services to go out into the streets and educate people through punishment to respect the law, which clearly prescribes punishments for those who don't take care of animals," says the animal rights activist. The problem of abandoned animals is a burning problem and it cannot be extinguished by plans and education, just like when the Gorica hill is burning, but instead, punishments only fuel it.
It is also necessary to issue a public call for veterinary clinics to be set up in local communities, starting from the same Vrelo Ribnički, because if you had passed by there, but not looking at the papers but at the surroundings, you would have seen dozens of animals on the main street alone. And don't listen to the stories that it will take years and years, because in 3 years, through joint action, we will become an exemplary city, the capital of a country that should become an equal member of the European Union," concluded Tomić.
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