The relationship between humans and animals

Great bachelor thesis by Lina U.

Ethology student Lina U. As part of her bachelor thesis, from Koblenz University of Applied Sciences took up an exciting and highly topical topic: the relationship between humans and animals — in particular between population and street animals — in a country where street dogs are still omnipresent. In summer 2023, Lina traveled for several weeks to Vushtrria in Kosovo, where our foundation For the third year in a row, a castration program for studs.

During her stay, Lina intensively observed and analyzed people's behavior towards dogs in various everyday situations — at markets, in residential areas or in front of schools. She had conversations, took notes and documented how different age groups and population groups behave towards the dogs. Her patience was particularly impressive: she spent many hours in the field every day, often in extreme heat, to collect meaningful data.

Her work not only shows the emotional and cultural complexity of the human-dog relationship, but also highlights how social circumstances, education, religious attitudes and growing up with animals can influence behavior towards street animals. Lina draws a differentiated comparison with the situation in Germany and uses this to develop reflected recommendations for long-term educational work and animal welfare strategies.

We are very grateful to Lina for her great commitment, her scientific approach and her respectful treatment of humans and animals on site. Her work provides valuable insights for our work in the area of education and awareness-raising — both in Kosovo and beyond.

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