Since 2020, the Directorate for Inspection Affairs (UIP) has not been directed to any code supervision initiative Aca Novović from Podgorica, who keeps wolves in a populated place, and recently, due to the suspicion that he killed a dog by dragging a vehicle in Block IX, the prosecutor's office opened an investigation against him.
Part of the non-governmental organizations for animal protection, after Novović was reported, detained and detained for torturing and killing a dog, submitted an initiative to the Directorate for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs, in order to determine whether the wolves he keeps in Tološi settlement under surveillance and in what condition they are during Novović's absence.
From the Veterinary Administration, of which he is the head Vladimir Djakovic, did not answer the questions of "Vijesti".
According to the response of the UIP, they did not contact their colleagues from the inspection, nor did they share information with them about the citizens' initiative to check the status of wild animals near Novović. The UIP did not initiate surveillance even after "Vijesti" inquired, as they did in 2020, when it was established that Novović kept 23 wolves on his property in a populated area.
"Inspections within the Directorate for Inspection Affairs have not had any initiatives, that is, applications regarding this case since 2020," they replied to "Vijesti" from the UIP on Thursday.
Investigation into the murder of a dog
Aco Novović from Podgorica was deprived of his liberty a few days ago, after the activists of the Non-Governmental Organization "Protect the Animals" filed a complaint against him, due to the suspicion that on May 29, in the evening hours, in the Block IX neighborhood in Podgorica, he tied a dog to his vehicle and dragged him along the street. The animal died as a result. In the meantime, the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Podgorica opened a case against Novović.
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The applicants also recalled that the same person had been reported several times before for torture and abuse of animals.
Novović has been known to the public for years, because he keeps wolves in the city's Tološi neighborhood. Upon learning that he was being held in custody, animal rights activists launched a surveillance initiative to check the status of wolves on his property.
Fined, the wolves were not touched
The UIP did not supervise Novović after he was taken into custody on suspicion of killing a dog, but in their response to "Vijesta" they recalled the inspection's earlier actions in relation to him.
"In the previous period, Aco Novović was the subject of controls by the forestry and hunting inspector and ecological inspection for keeping wild animals-wolves in captivity. Due to the fact that he did not have a permit to keep wolves against Aco Novović, the environmental inspection filed a request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings to the competent misdemeanor court, to which the court was then given, in accordance with the then valid Nature Protection Act, a proposal to confiscate wild animals and to they are placed with an authorized legal entity that meets the conditions for that," UIP told "Vijesti" a few days ago.
According to the request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings, they added, a decision was made to impose a fine, but the court did not make a decision to confiscate wild animals - wolves.
"During 2020, the person of Aco Novović was inspected by the forestry and hunting inspector and ecological inspection from the UIP, the veterinary inspection of the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs and the municipal police of the Capital City of Podgorica, with the assistance of members of the Police Administration. The inspection found that Novović is keeping wolves in captivity without the permission of the competent authorities. During the surveillance, Novović stated that he submitted a request for a permit to the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro (EPA), but that he did not receive it due to a lack of space, i.e. because his cages are smaller than the prescribed area ", they stated in their response to "Vijesta" from UIP.
Also, they add, he stated that he is working to ensure the conditions for keeping wolves.
"That is, to prepare a suitable space for keeping wolves in another location. According to the statement that Aco Novović gave at the time, he has been keeping wolves for more than 35 years when he got the first cubs, and the wolves that were found are the fourth generation and they were bred in captivity, that is, none of the wolves that were found were directly taken from nature", they said from UIP.
They also recalled the event from 2020, when, due to the suspicion that a wolf had escaped in the Tološi neighborhood of Podgorica owned by Novović and that it had escaped from his yard, Novović was then called to the Podgorica Security Center to give a statement.
"In the premises of CB Podgorica, the environmental inspection also took a statement from Aco Novović, regarding the keeping of wolves and information that an escaped wolf was caught in his possession. Aco Novović, in his statement on the record of the environmental inspection, denied that the wolves that were caught in Tološi were his and made a statement that none of his wolves escaped", according to the UIP.
Novović also then, as they said, stated that he applied for an EPA permit, but that he did not receive the permit because there was not enough space in the yard where he keeps the wolves.
"As it was then determined that Aco Novović was in captivity, i.e. breeds more wolves without the Agency's permission, the ecological inspection submitted a request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings against him to the Podgorica Court of Misdemeanors. In connection with the above, a certain investigative procedure was conducted against Acu Novović by the ODT Podgorica, to which the environmental inspection submitted documentation for its needs", said the UIP.
The confiscated animals have nowhere to go
"Vijesti" has previously raised the issue of the state's capacity to take care of wild animals that it seizes because they are kept illegally, and this is confirmed by the UIP.
"As there are no conditions in Montenegro for taking care of wild animals in cases where they are confiscated in the month of July 2020, the Agency tried to establish cooperation with the competent authorities of the Republic of Italy, who expressed interest in accepting these animals. On this issue, several meetings were held in the Agency, with the aim of finding adequate space and facilities for the accommodation of wolves with the aim of confiscating them", explained the UIP.
"In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to provide appropriate means to put them to sleep, then transport them to facilities for temporary housing, facilities for housing animals after confiscation and quarantine, and provide a veterinarian's examination and, if necessary, their treatment, staff who will take care of the wolves while are in quarantine, their chipping. For their possible treatment abroad, it is necessary to provide appropriate permits, as well as means of transport", said the UIP.
They rely on the new Law on Nature Protection
"In Montenegro, there is still no authorized legal or physical entity where, in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, temporary or permanent disposal of specimens of wild animals could be carried out, which would be taken from holders who do not provide a permit or animals are kept in inadequate conditions", they said. from the UIP, adding that it "represents a significant problem in providing accommodation for animals that are seized in illegal cross-border traffic, as well as when it comes to illegal keeping of animals".
They expect that the issue of keeping wild animals will be regulated by the new Law on Nature Protection, which is currently being drafted:
"As well as through the same, an adequate and actually applicable system will be prescribed and created, which will enable the confiscation of wild species of animals that are kept without a permit and their disposal".
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