A Pljevljana woman for more than a decade Vanja Ječmenica takes care of abandoned animals, and she turned part of her yard in the suburban Dajevića han into an asylum for dogs.
She says that she takes care of about eighty dogs by herself, most of them abandoned by unscrupulous owners or left not far from her house, but that due to the high costs, she is not sure that she will be able to continue to do humane work.
"If I don't get some funds for fencing the yard and food for the dogs in the near future, I will unfortunately be forced to return all the dogs to the street where suffering, hunger and freezing await them," Ječmenica told "Vijesti".
In the beginning, as she claims, there were significantly fewer dogs in her asylum, and today there are too many.
"The reason for this is that unscrupulous owners do not castrate their animals, but leave them everywhere without any remorse. The law on irresponsible ownership is still not enforced. All owners should be punished who do not castrate and chip the dog, and those who want to engage in breeding should register the kennel and pay taxes. Until this is applied, we will always have abandoned street dogs," points out Ječmenica.
Owners, she claims, mostly leave dogs on the outskirts of the city and near containers.
He also points out that animals have souls and that he is fighting a big battle with the huge number of abandoned dogs that he has to feed every day, which costs a lot.
"People often leave their dog at my house and never leave a bag of kibble for him to eat. I don't have any income for them, I constantly ask good people to help, mostly through social networks, but that's help only for a couple of days a month, the rest I have to figure out how to feed them. Many dogs are sick, injured, old, new-born puppies, bitches, I have to provide veterinary expenses and all this costs a lot. Just how many castrations do I have to provide so that the dogs don't breed," says Ječmenica.
He says that he spends most of the day with his pets - he feeds them, takes them for a walk, cleans the rooms where they are kept, and regularly takes sick ones to check-ups at the vet.
"Only here in the north is it difficult to get any help for endangered animals. They often say - 'there are also hungry children'. Of course there is, but someone else should fight for children, such as various institutions, organizations... Someone also needs to fight for animals that reproduce instinctively, and not consciously like humans, there is a big difference".
She claims that in the decade that she has been taking care of abandoned dogs, she has received help from the Municipality of Pljevlja only once, which was enough for her to buy dog food for ten days. This is why she says she is especially grateful to the current mayor Igor Golubović.
"Is it the job of the municipality and the state to do something for endangered animals, or is it the job of an individual? I'm someone who does physicals all day, I don't have my own workers, I don't have a monthly budget for food, veterinary expenses. I don't have time to sit and make projects and apply to competitions. And otherwise, the commission scores organizations that don't have animals at all, that don't help animals, and take money and justify the funds in various ways. Every day I have to feed about 80 animals, and I can't pass the project because they don't score the daily work around the animals that are housed on their own property and in the house".
She appealed to all humane people to help the animals who are the least guilty of being abandoned.
"The one who leaves them is not punished, but they are punished to die in the worst torment. A few months ago, someone cut off the dog's leg and the poor thing was wandering around the city bleeding. It was a gruesome sight. I took the dog and drove him to Bar where the rest of his leg was amputated. That dog is with me. About twenty days ago, the dog was hit by a car and lay motionless in the middle of the street for 7 hours, no one wanted to take him away, he was even hit by a truck. My friend called me and I went to rescue the dog. He was still lying in the middle of the road. There was no help for him at the vet here because there is no x-ray. I sent the dog to Belgrade, where his spine was removed twice and he is now in the clinic for recovery. The dog will be adopted when he recovers with a wonderful family. I would also like to thank everyone who helped with the transport to Belgrade and the Lejli operation, especially Anita from the Czech Republic".
She tells that she recently helped a dog from Podgorica that was lying on the side of the street for five days, dying in agony.
"The person who saw it informed all organizations in Podgorica and posted on all animal groups, no one wanted to help the dog, and many took money for those same poor dogs. A girl from Podgorica asked me for help and I helped the dog as much as I could. The dog was taken to a veterinarian in Bar, where they found that the spine was broken. She was then placed in Kraljevo, in a paid boarding house, but the poor woman died after 20 days".
A large number of dogs survived a similar story, Vanja rescued them and takes care of them today.
People, Ječmenica points out, mostly have negative criticism of her work, although, as she says, they should be satisfied that there is someone who takes care of abandoned animals.
"All the dogs that were left and are with me are fed and never go to attack someone's livestock, nor have they ever started to bite a person or someone's child. Instead of people being happy about it, they mostly have negative reviews".
They get the same money for years, but they don't spend it on animals
Ječmenica also claims that the same people who spend it "for everything but poor animals" have been receiving money for years.
"When I ask for help with food or some material for building fences or houses, no one will remember to help, and when they don't know what to do with their pet they don't want anymore - that's when they remember me, bring it and leave it. I don't have a fenced yard, on one side there is a street where many dogs die, and on the other side a neighborhood that does not want dogs to enter their properties and many end their lives by being poisoned".
If I don't get some funds soon to fence the yard and feed the dogs, I will unfortunately be forced to return all the dogs to the streets, where they will suffer, starve and freeze.
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