Latest news about animal welfare

OPENING OF THE VETERINARY CLINIC WITH SANCTUARY FOR THE GJAKOVA REGION

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On October 29, 2018, after 15 months of construction, we were able to open the only veterinary clinic with sanctuary in the country - 4 km outside the city of Gjakova/Kosovo. The Swiss Ambassador Monsieur Jean-Hubert Lebet, the Mayor of Gjakova Ardian Gjini and the Regional Director of Agriculture as well as the Veterinary Officer in the Prime Minister Office Arbër Taraku were also present. More than 60 guests came from home and abroad, and for once, this was a happy day in Kosovo. Our foundation is committed to sustainable intervention to reduce the stray dog population. This includes facilities that clearly signal that pets can and must be treated, prevent castration of pregnant dogs and abandonment of sick, old dogs or puppies is not necessary - because animals can be treated and prevent puppy births. With this clinic, we have sent a clear signal, at least for the Gjakova region, and will systematically inform the population about what we have to offer.

BUDGET: We have received a significant donation from the ASMI NARDO Foundation for this clinic in addition to some private donations, otherwise the construction would not have been possible. The entire family of our veterinarians also invested and worked on the construction. Donations for the building were strictly separated from donations for dog help and all donor requests were met. However, we must continue to invest to complete the enclosures, build dog houses (160 euros/duplex) and set up boxes.

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DONATE AN X-RAY MACHINE - THE FIRST FOR ANIMALS!

Many street dogs suffer a traffic accident - are often run over intentionally - and the assessment is hardly possible without an X-ray. Dr. med. vet. Markus Riedener from Schmitten He therefore gave us his analog X-ray machine during practice assignment, and is visiting our veterinary clinic these days to install the devices and instruct our veterinarians. It is the first and only X-ray machine for animals in the country. Although there is another device at the university in Prishtina, private veterinarians are not allowed to use it - although it is reported that the device is hardly used there.

What we're missing now is a microscope. We were only lent a device for this year. We'd love to buy it! One of the most important differential diagnoses made this year concerns the various pathogens of mange, but the microscope was also used for bacteria and fecal analyses.

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#Unten, an injured, limping dog, is seen and caught in Graçanica on November 25. In the clinic, he is X-rayed and then a decision is made about the treatment. We can certainly help here, but it is one more guest who will be staying at the Sanctuary. And the Swiss vet Dr. med. vet. Markus Riedener, Schmitten, has not only donated his X-ray system with developer to our veterinary clinic, but is currently in Kosovo to instruct our team how to use it.

tour guide Xhevdet Kallaba (Contact by Hotel Graçanica) guided the group of our interested donors through the country of Kosovo in October and took wonderful photos of street dogs - here Vushtrri. He sees and helps. He is not indifferent to street animals, and if you ever want to visit Kosovo or Albania, his companion may be the right thing for you. The next trip will take place at the beginning of March 2019 - come with us and then you'll know what you're donating for.

Living together with treated and castrated dogs is easier for people to bear. That is why we state: We help humans and animals with our CNVR (Catch Neuter Vaccinate Release) program - and by castrating private animals, we prevent suspension.

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Vushtrri/Kosovo

We have the city of Vushtrri as a completely new addition to the program, because we were able to attract a trustworthy, capable and, above all, eager to learn vet as a partner, DVM Zenel Zhabari. His mission is primarily to castrate privately kept dogs, especially female dogs, and to help street dogs in need. He started working in October and reported reliably on what he is doing. He also successfully visits school classes with animal lover and architecture student Endrina Haziri. In the first month alone, he visited 14 school classes.

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THE SUFFERING OF ABANDONED ANIMALS AND PUPPIES

Anyone who travels to Kosovo or Albania and stays alert does not escape the suffering of dogs - and rarely seen cats - in the corners of cities, in the rubbish green spaces and in the fields away from civilization. The dead or dying dogs along the roads are also a fact, particularly bad in spring and autumn. If you want to help, you don't know where to start. But these two puppies on the road from Graçanica to Pristina would be dead today if we hadn't acted. B. Bejdoni and I were unable to catch them immediately, so we asked a friend to feed them daily - until the catch succeeded. Today they are in the sanctuary, they could not be touched at first - we assume that they have never had human contact before. Thanks to the loving attention of our employees, they have gained some trust in the meantime.

Then on the road from Peja to Decan, a white ball jumped out of the ditch in front of our car and fell down again. We stopped, turned around and went looking. A lonely “disposed of” puppy was recovered - and has already survived the first DHPPL vaccination without a negative reaction :-) On the Mitrovica - Skenderaj road, we found and fed MAKSIM alone in the trash far away from any settlement. We went there a second time, we were able to catch him with food, he too is now a guest at our sanctuary - and may be adopted one day. And finally, just outside Gjakova, we found three abandoned puppies alone on the road, where they would have been run over within hours. Kosovo and ALBANIA are difficult countries for animal lovers to bear. We would both like to see some tourism, but anyone who sees or knows about the misery of dogs as an animal lover doesn't even go there.

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Above - the two nameless puppies from the street in Pristina.

Middle - the nameless white puppy from Decan with PEJA, a brought and already adopted puppy from Peja, as the name suggests,

Below - MAKSIM from Mitrovica-Skenderaj with JESICA - abandoned and seriously injured hunting dog found injured on the road in Graçanica,.

At the very bottom - three abandoned puppies on the Gjakova-Prizren road. Adopt so that there is room again for new animals in need in the sanctuary.

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FIERI/ALBANIA

Jenny Hasanaj-Müller from Swiss association JETA Tier und Mensch spent weeks in Fieri/southern Albania again this summer to treat street dogs together with their vet Artenis Limoj and to check their small sanctuary with shepherds in the mountains. Apart from that, she successfully negotiated the treatment of street dogs in the city of Durrës in the north - so that new projects could soon be created there. Her association also carried out various stand campaigns and visited poor people, cat and dog owners, and distributed the Susy Utzinger Foundation's children's book on pet husbandry (see picture, visit to Fieri) along with food donations. If you want to help people in poverty in Albania, contact us or the association via Facebook. Our foundation has decided to pay for the treatment of 100 stray dogs in Fieri this year, and further assignments in 2019 are being negotiated.

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SHKODRA/ALBANIA

Erza Cermjani, President of the small Austrian association Pro Qen Albania, has signed a contract with the city of Shkodra. Accordingly, since this summer, street dogs and privately owned dogs of wealthy owners have been continuously castrated and treated at the expense of our foundation, with local control being the responsibility of the association. There should be a total of 500 dogs, the first 170 were financed by the city with 22 euros/dog, we have added 20 euros so that it is even financially viable for the vet DVM Rubin Piranaj. Drug prices are high, materials are required for sterile work, and after all, the dog catcher needs a small wage. We will compensate the remaining 330 dogs with the usual price of 42 euros per dog for castration, DHPPL vaccination, rabies vaccination, deworming and, as I said, payment for the helpers.

However, the collaboration was strictly reduced to the castration of dogs, because the local animal shelter run by “Animals Need Me” does not meet our expectations in any way. After all, in a city with treated street dogs, the coexistence between animals and humans works better - they are part of the peaceful cityscape - see below!

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And with this picture from the city of Shkodra, Albania - treated and marked dogs under the Christmas tree - we say goodbye to you for this year. You will receive your donation confirmation in February 2019.

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ALL THE BEST FOR THE HOLIDAYS - AND DON'T FORGET US AND OUR DOGS! IT'S NO SECRET, WE NEED YOUR HELP TOO!