Abandoned animals and stray dogs are regular "residents" of bar streets and public areas. A shelter for dogs was opened last summer in Bar, and a new Decision on pets was recently adopted, which stipulates fines for abandoning animals. Despite this, over the past two years, around 265 euros have been spent on compensation for stray dog bites from the local coffers.
Last year, the municipality of Bar paid 119.181 euros from the local budget to citizens who were bitten by stray dogs. In the year before that, 146.353 euros were paid on the same basis.
This was confirmed to "Vijesti" from the local administration, and they pointed out that the amounts were paid as court settlements to the parties, which significantly reduced the total costs.
"In 2023, 251 lawsuits were submitted to the Basic Court in Bar in the name of this compensation, while in 2022, 281 lawsuits were submitted. "Almost all the cases from the specified period have been completed," said the Municipality.
They emphasized that there is often abuse when it comes to requests for compensation on that basis, so they are currently in the phase of additional assessment of the justification of those requests.
The shelter for abandoned animals in Bar started operating in early June 2023.
The Municipality told "Vijesta" that the area has about six thousand square meters and has the capacity for group and isolated accommodation for animals.
"The shelter was designed for a capacity of up to 100 dogs, in accordance with the current standards that had to be incorporated, which complied with all the positive legal provisions in this area, which is the final way to a solution to this challenge," they said.
In this way, as they said, they fulfilled the legal obligation stemming from the Law on the Protection and Welfare of Animals and provided a shelter according to the highest standards and solved the long-term and sustainable problem of caring for stray dogs, as well as other animals. In addition, the plan is to create a register of abandoned dogs, which will be recorded through the reception of abandoned animals.
The local company "Lovstvo" said that the optimal capacity is slightly smaller, that is, they have space to take care of 60 to 70 animals, while in a last resort, up to 80 dogs can be accommodated.
"There are currently 46 dogs in the shelter in Bar. The shelter for abandoned animals in Kufin has 10 boxes, six of which have a capacity of a maximum of eight animals that have been veterinary treated and are waiting for adoption. Two boxes are for the postoperative period with a maximum capacity of four individuals. One box is for special purposes, ie. for dogs under observation due to suspected rabies. We have one box for a nursing bitch with puppies", told "Vijesta" from the company that manages the shelter.
The shelter for abandoned animals works 24 hours a day with nine employees, and the responsible persons are the executive director of "Lovstva" Bar Marko Brnjada and acting manager of the shelter Jovica Stankovic.
So far, as they said, they do not have signed contracts on volunteering, but they are in daily contact, they cooperate closely and well with most of the bar volunteers, NGO organizations and all people with a big heart who want to help.
The procedure and handling in cases of taking care of animals in an asylum is regulated by the law and by-laws, that is, by the decisions of the Municipal Assembly.
"Mainly, stray dogs, i.e. dogs that are considered to have ended up on the streets and public areas against their will, and have not been identified, are in charge of the shelter, while for dogs whose owner is identified through identification, the shelter is responsible for taking care of them, while the communal the inspection does not act in accordance with its competences and the owner comes to collect his dog", they said from "Lovstva" from Bar.
They added that citizens turn to them every day with the desire to take care of animals, even to such an extent that this need exceeds the capacities and possibilities of their shelter.
Since the beginning of the operation of the asylum, the biggest challenge for them has been establishing a good relationship with citizens and understanding their way of working, that is, their possibilities. Their capacities are limited, they say, and the problem of stray dogs that dates back decades cannot be solved in a short period of time. According to them, the most important thing is for citizens to understand that the shelter is only a means to solve the problem of stray dogs.
"By sterilizing and neutering homeless dogs, we prevent their reproduction, and by adopting them, we reduce their current number in public areas. The root of this problem is unconscionable ownership, i.e. uncontrolled breeding and later abandonment of one's own dogs or puppies", they concluded.
They appeal to citizens to chip their dogs for identification as required by law. They pointed out that veterinary clinics should also instruct owners that it is not possible to examine, vaccinate, or treat a puppy or an adult dog if the dog is not microchipped.
All this, as they said, is a kind of appeal to the competent services that it is high time for the implementation of legal solutions and that warnings should be started as soon as possible, followed by fines.
"Changing the awareness and conscience of citizens is the basis for solving this problem, and only when this relationship changes can we expect a reduction in the number of homeless dogs on the streets of the city and hope that neither these unfortunate animals nor citizens will experience negative experiences in urban, suburban and rural areas. environments", said those from "Lovstva".
On the website of the Bar shelter, you can find all the information about adopting animals, as well as photos of those dogs waiting for their new home.
The Municipal Assembly of Bar recently adopted the Decision on pets in the territory of the Municipality of Bar, which prescribes the conditions and manner of keeping pets, the manner of dealing with abandoned and lost pets, the manner of caring for abandoned and lost pets, the maintenance of shelters for their care and control of their reproduction in the territory of the municipality of Bar.
This Decision, among other things, prescribes penal provisions that amount to 150 to 3000 euros for those who abandon their pets, which the Municipality of Bar cited as the main cause of the appearance of stray dogs.
In 2023, 251 lawsuits were submitted to the Basic Court in Bar on behalf of this compensation, while in 2022, 281 lawsuits were submitted. "Almost all the cases from the specified period have been completed," said the Municipality. They emphasized that there is often abuse when it comes to requests for compensation on that basis, so they are currently in the phase of additional assessment of the justification of those requests.
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