January 2017 - Latest news from StrayCoco

Editorial

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We ended last year with this picture. The German KFOR soldier found this puppy with a bloated stomach in Mitrovica and asked for our help. He will adopt him - Rasko is still in quarantine and will be allowed to travel to Germany at the end of February 2017.

That is just one example. Other soldiers have also saved dogs from safely walking slowly on the roads. But individual rescues are not the program of our foundation, which has set itself the task of fundamentally wanting to change something in the respective country or location of operation. Occasional adoptions of individual dogs do not change the cruelty that thousands of other dogs suffer. We are monitoring this in Kosovo and Albania and are setting an example there: On the one hand through role models that we create and report on Facebook almost daily, and on the other hand through coalitions that we are trying to form with influential people and institutions.

In 2016, in addition to daily help for street dogs, it was mainly about law and politics. With two protest actions, we have drawn attention to grievances in Kosovo. In Klina, where the hunting society won the tender to reduce the street dog population, all dogs should be shot. We immediately have one on change.org petition to Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and demands that the national veterinary office immediately revoke the permit for this. Thanks to US actress Kristen Renton, we have collected over 120,000 votes in a short time. But around 380 dogs had already been shot.

In a second petition We protested against a planned regulation that wanted to set up killing stations for stray dogs across the country. We submitted the first petition under the name of Kosovo animal welfare activists who support us, and we carried out the second petition together with OIPA.org.

For several months now, we have been the official representative of OIPA.org (Milano) in Kosovo and will try to become the same for northern Albania as well. OIPA, in turn, supports us with its expertise in the animal welfare sector.

You have enabled one or more street dogs to receive veterinary treatment (1404 in total) or to be admitted to our sanctuary (currently 32). Thank you!

Dr. Helen Wormser
President of the Board of Trustees

ADVANCE NOTICE: Please reserve the evening from June 22, 2017 for our annual event, this time in Pfäffikon/ZH.

Why also albania?

The street dogs there suffer no less and have various diseases that are not often seen in Kosovo, such as leishmaniasis. They are just as disposable as the Kosovars - and no animal welfare organization helps! We have therefore established a small partnership with a reliable partner - Pro Qen Albania (Austrian association from Graz). Our veterinarians, Kosovar DVM Blendi Bejdoni, as well as his wife, Albanian DVM Eriola Palla, both studied veterinary medicine in Tirana and have good relationships with several veterinarians in Albania. DVM Rubin Piranaj works in Shkodra and is supported by Pro Qen Albania, while many volunteers from “Animals need me” participate, capture dogs for treatment or care for them. In 2016, our veterinarians did two three-day volunteer assignments in Shkodra and treated over 100 dogs and cats. It is our intention to build a model in Shkodra as well, which can perhaps be copied by other Albanian cities. The first donations with the note “Albania” have arrived and are being passed on. The use of foundation funds flowing to Shkodra is well documented and controlled by Pro Qen Albania. We are planning to castrate 200 dogs this spring with local vet DVM Piranaj.

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Animal Welfare School Lessons in Kosovo

After one and a half years of service in Kosovo, we for the first time last summer had 20 primary classes in Gjakova Get taught by our vet DVM Blendi Bejdoni. He and his wife DVM Eriola Palla went to classes with two puppies. Many students, but also teachers, touched a dog for the first time in their lives. In October 2016, we have new castration work in the community Rahovec started and immediately linked this to a contract with the school management. We are now starting information sessions in their school classes as well. Our two veterinarians answer questions such as: Why are there so many street dogs in Kosovo, how should children behave in critical situations, what are the needs of dogs and why they should be castrated.

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Supporters in the fight against a newly planned regulation with killing centers

Our most important second success in 2016 concerns the Veterinary Society of Kosovo (Oda Veterinare e Kosovës), which primarily brings together large veterinarians. In countless conversations - here in Suhareka with the Director, Dr. Xhevdet Krasniqi and his Deputy Dr. Kreshnik Rogova (second from left) - we were able to convince the Chamber of our CNVR program and win them over as supporters in the fight against a newly planned regulation with killing centers for street dogs. Since then, the Veterinary Society has repeatedly published statements in the media that this problem in Kosovo can only be solved through nationwide castrations and that the killings that have taken place regularly so far have not been successful.

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Lecture at the American school in Pristina

We also visited the American school in Pristina for a presentation. The Kosovan students here are particularly interested in the topic of “animal welfare” - but the hopelessness that anything would change was overwhelming to hear out with every question from a student. The politicians in this country are divided and even these otherwise privileged students do not believe in solutions and perspectives.

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Vortrag zum Tierschutz in Schule in Kosovo

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Castration program in Gjakova and Decan

This shepherdess in Gjakova had her dog spayed by our vet. She has had enough of the half-yearly puppies and understood that there is only one way to prevent this: accept our offer - thanks to all our donors - and have her dog castrated free of charge. We are still there for the poor population and their dogs.

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This young man from Decan has realized that he can help the stray street dog in front of his house by being able to castrate and vaccinate her and her puppies free of charge as soon as they were old enough. Although everyone will stay on the streets, they have a better chance of survival than other street dogs thanks to this man who regularly feeds them. A contract was signed with the city of Decan on January 6, 2016 to treat street dogs - your next donations will go to Rahovec, Decan, Gjakova's dogs and to Shkodra, Albania.

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Feeding street dogs

Despite unemployment and therefore destitution, there are always people in Kosovo who take in or at least feed stray dogs. We donate 100 kg of dog food to this group from Vushtrii and have started with the local large animal doctor to vaccinate and castrate all 28 street dogs that live near these young people. For those interested: These men are self-sufficient, live off their small farm and go from restaurant to restaurant almost every evening until 1 o'clock in the morning to collect food for “their” street dogs. They protect the dogs from the current killing program in Vushtrii. We'll try to stop this program too!

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Cold temperatures in Kosovo

Since January 7, 2017, Kosovo has had nighttime temperatures of down to -27 degrees. We have had to seal the barn entrance better and are currently having double dog houses built for all those dogs that prefer to be alone (cost: 160 euros per dog house). There are currently 32 dogs in the sanctuary. Seven dogs have found an adoption place and are waiting until they are allowed to enter the EU. Many others have a godfather or godmother so that we can provide them well with food and straw. Others are waiting for a sponsorship or a good place to adopt.

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Continuing education at our veterinary clinic in Nagavc

DVM Artenis Limoj, who occasionally castrates and treats dogs with the small Swiss association “JETA Tier und Mensch” in Vlora/Southern Albania, spent a week at Nagavc Clinic and learned the small incision technique for castrating female dogs and the importance of using good and sterile material. The postgraduate training of veterinarians in Kosovo and Albania is important to us. This is the only way to really help the animals.

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Great volunteer support

Two women we would like to introduce to you... Meg Ardner, an American who lives in Kosovo and supports our work at the Sanctuary as a volunteer - she is coping with our dogs, as you can see. Her main task on behalf of our foundation has been legislative since autumn 2016. She has created a so-called “Cost Benefit Analysis to Determine the Optimal Method for Managing and Controlling Dogs in Kosovo” for the Veterinary Office, a model that has already passed several hearings and meetings well, has convinced the Veterinary Association of Kosovo, and is now at the country's Ministry of Finance. We'll keep you up to date. You deserve a big thank you! On the right is Erza Cermjani, who has to slow down the stormy “Lucky” (today in Switzerland). She has the club in Graz/A”Pro Qen Albania“founded and currently lives in Shkodra, Albania, where she (in addition to her teaching activities) is actively trying to improve the situation of street dogs - with us. We are therefore also happy to receive donations with the note “Albania”.

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StrayCoco is 2 years old!

The StrayCoco Foundation is now two years old. The main task is the CNVR program, which has also become a model of how reproduction can be stopped in various localities. However, in 2016, other tasks were added in line with the purpose of the foundation, in particular influencing the legal system and starting education in school classes so that dogs and their situation could be better understood. The dogs are treated at Nagavc Clinic, where there is also a small sanctuary. Four working families and the vet couple have also found an income through our work thanks to donors. Neither buildings nor land in Nagavc belong to our foundation or veterinarians. In order to be able to continue working sustainably, we are therefore planning to set up our own farm outside of Gjakova, which serves the animals and their treatment. Perhaps even with heated rooms - which do not exist in Nagavc - and enough water? At the moment we are still dreaming, but if there is an interested sponsor for a clinic/sanctuary in Kosovo, we are waiting for you!

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