April 2017 - News from StrayCoco for dog lovers

Editorial

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Dear dog lovers!

Stray dogs have no voice, are kicked and otherwise abused, puppies are killed every six months, especially in the Balkans. The scenes we encounter in Kosovo and Albania are indescribable. We are obliged to watch. We largely spare our friends these pictures both in the newsletter and on Facebook.
In addition to treating street dogs in the two countries on a daily basis, it is therefore all the more important for us to set more far-reaching examples — and to do so successfully. In particular, this includes the training and continuing education of veterinarians in castrating female dogs, which is important because only a small incision and healing without infections allows the females to be released early into their territory, which could be reoccupied if they are absent for a long period of time. Any well-trained vet can help set an example.
That is why we organized a seminar in Pristina at the suggestion of the “Oda e Veterinarisë”, the Kosovo Veterinary Association. On March 9, 2017, together with street dog expert Michele Minunno from Bari, Italy, I was able to talk to a hundred veterinarians from Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania about the need for castration/vaccination, registration of dog owners and dogs, and raising awareness in schools. Member of the Board of Trustees Dr. med. vet. Hans-Ulrich Rey was there and is happy to provide information (travel and accommodation were paid privately and not from your donations!)
We also continue to be politically active with influential local American friends who are committed to the humane treatment of street dogs by the government.

It remains the case, we help street dogs in western Kosovo and now in the Serbian enclave of Graçanica and Preoce and in two places in Albania on a daily basis, but only as far as donations reach. It won't work without you and your involvement. Thank you for your support

yours Helen Wormser
President of the StrayCoCo Foundation

Lecture at the University of Pristina on the humane treatment of street dogs

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Fakulteti i Bujqësisë dhe Veterinarisë në Pristina:

The lecture hall was attended by 100 veterinarians from three countries. The President of the Veterinary Association, Dr. Xhevdet Krasniqi, opened the two-hour training course. Most veterinarians from Kosovo are large veterinarians and have not yet dealt with dogs, let alone street dogs. It just doesn't work without them. Following the meeting, they were therefore invited by the Veterinary Association to sign up for practical training. We are excited to see what the response will be. However, a direct result of the presentation of our work at the Veterinary Association is already apparent! Most veterinarians in the country support us politically and speak out publicly and to the “Food & Veterinary Agency” Kosovo in favour of nationwide castration instead of killing.

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Continuing education at the Veterinary Chamber

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Deployment in the Albanian West of Kosovo - DECANI Is in addition Gjakova and Rahovec one of our locations since December 2016

The town is located between Peja and Gjakova, in both cities we were or are active. At the request of the Italian KFOR, a contract was signed with the mayor of this city so that the dogs would not be killed. That is why they are caught early in the morning and placed in our clinic for 3-5 days until their treatment is complete. We would like to thank the European Animal Welfare Foundation for partially covering the costs.

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New: Deployment in Malishevo - western Kosovo - for an unlimited period

Three quarters of years ago, the director of the local agricultural office, Murat Hoxha, asked us to do something for the street dogs - and sent us terrible pictures. We can't be everywhere... but now we've decided to support this city too. The visit to Malishevo in March was frightening not only in terms of the number of dogs in the city center, but also their state of health. On April 4, our partner veterinarians from Pro Vet Nagavc signed a contract with the city, secured the support of the police and Murat Hoxha informed about the operations via all available media. On April 5, the first 22 dogs were captured and are currently being treated in the clinic. Here you can see how a dog is anesthetized at a distance with the “blow pipe” because otherwise it cannot be caught.

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Deployment in the Serbian exclave near Pristina in eastern Kosovo

Unbearable — and therefore necessary! In the second week of March, we unfortunately found out that in Gracanica - a Serbian enclave of Kosovo - there are unbelievable conditions with regard to street dogs. In addition to a gruesome animal shelter in the city with insufficiently cared for dogs, many neglected dogs are out and about early in the morning and evening looking for food or mating. We spontaneously decided to start a castration campaign there in the 4th week of March using the abandoned, covered gas station outside the city - where electricity and water were provided to us by a dog lover. A total of 82 street dogs were treated and castrated. And on April 9, it starts in Preoce - a Roma settlement near Graçanica - where there are over a hundred neglected dogs.

‍We ask for donations! Unfortunately, the missions cost a lot.

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New to the program! Shkodra and Fieri - ALBANIA!

Why do more — instead of focusing on western Kosovo? Because we show models that there is another way. In Elbasan/Albania, as elsewhere in this country, tons of dogs are being terribly killed. Unfortunately, it is not the NZZ or Tages-Anzeiger readers who see this, but only those who search for it on Facebook! The mayor of the city Shkodër - Voltana Ademi - has approved the vet DVM Rubin Piranaj to castrate 230 street dogs paid. This proves that this city in Albania wants to embark on a new path. We have a partnership with the small Austrian association PRO QEN ALBANIA, represented by linguist Mag. Erza Cermjani, who currently teaches German in Shkodra. This gives us the perfect partnership for a job. DMV Rubin Piranaj is personally known to us and deserves your trust. We have provisionally approved to castrate 200 dogs at the Foundation's expense. Help us make that possible.

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FIERI/South Albania:

The vet DVM Artenis Limoj spent a week “teaching” with our project managers and trusted veterinarians in Kosovo. He has learned the small incision technique during ovariectomy and is able to treat and castrate street dogs in such a way that they can be released again within a few days. This motivates us to support JETA Tier und Mensch, an association chaired by Albanian Jenny Hasanaj-Müller, who lives in the canton of Schwyz. She controls the operations on site - we would like to set an example with the vet there and castrate 100 street dogs - with your support.

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FIERI/Albania: DVM Artenis Limoj rented this restaurant with a small enclosure for dogs because he does not have a practice. He usually goes to the farmers and treats sheep and cows directly in the fields.

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And school lessons continue - in Kosovo and Albania

Die Susy Utzinger Foundation offered us to translate her children's book on responsible pet husbandry into Albanian and financed the printing of 5000 copies for us! We were very happy about that. The children's book for the Serbian exclaves in Kosovo is currently being translated into Serbo-Croatian. This collaboration and support is unique... thank you very much.

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Visit to primary classes in Krushe e Madhe (near Nagavc/Kosovo)

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And thanks to the local organization “Protect me Albania” in Vlora/Southern Albania, the Susy Utzinger Foundation's children's booklet is also finding its way into primary classes there.

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Don't let this picture scare them!

Luli Hyseni is a martial arts teacher in the city of St. Gallen. For us, he advertises free of charge against dog fighting in Kosovo, which is hard to beat in terms of cruelty. His text: Real men fight themselves and don't let their dogs bleed. We use this ad against dog fighting on Facebook.

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