News from Kosovo on the street dog situation and an attempt in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Building Infrastructure

Dear Animal Lovers,

Some NGOs react with a degree of surprise that we build small animal clinics in developing countries like Kosovo. They might ask: isn't it better to rescue a dog directly than to 'waste' money on buildings? We do both. However, we want to emphasize that without proper infrastructure, it's impossible to provide efficient, sustainable treatment for street dogs. Furthermore, without it, the public won't learn that pets also deserve professional care. Admittedly, we need additional donations for infrastructure, but this investment is truly worthwhile for animal welfare (cats benefit too)! This is evident in two examples: Firstly, thanks to our large small animal clinic in Gjakova, Four Paws Vienna has repeatedly taken on the treatment of street dogs in the neighboring regions of Decan and Junik. Meanwhile, in Gjakova, the program itself has been renewed annually for years, thanks to municipal funding. Secondly, our new program in Kljuc (BiH) demonstrates that the existing infrastructure is still inadequate and doesn't allow for mass treatments. We are grateful to the veterinarian and HopefordogsBiH for transforming an old building into a clinic and a private garden into a small refuge. However, this isn't sufficient if we want to prioritize animal welfare alongside treatment. This means that street dogs need a few days of recovery after surgery until they regain their strength. We'll see what the future holds there and hope to be able to help with your support!

Helen Wormser President, StrayCoCo Foundation

Small Animal Clinic Mitrovica and First Steps in Kljuc

On the left is the clinic under construction in Mitrovica/Kosovo, on the right is the veterinarian's yard in Kljuc/BiH, where we are now, together with the Bernese association Hopefordogs_BiH have invested in fencing. While this area resembles many refuges run by dedicated animal welfare workers, our goal with modern clinics is to set a new standard, successfully drawing public attention to the essential treatment of dogs and cats. There's a significant difference between working in a landfill – as our foundation had to do in Peja in 2015/16 – and operating in a modern clinic where numerous dogs can be treated simultaneously. Like in Gjakova, this new animal clinic in Mitrovica has space for a permanent refuge for disabled and sick dogs requiring extended treatment. Furthermore, the spacious facilities allow for at least 50 dogs to be treated monthly and then to rest for several days until they regain their strength.

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Prevention Campaigns, Wherever We Are!

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- We treat and spay/neuter street dogs within specific regions; - We offer treatment and spaying/neuter for yard dogs and household pets to owners with no or insufficient income; - We distribute flyers to inform the local population, and - Our partner veterinarians visit schools or invite them to the small animal clinic.(Pictured: DVM Zenel Zhabari teaching biology at a school in Vushtrria)However, what remains outside our control is ensuring every dog owner microchips their animal, as well as the current legislation, which, unlike in Switzerland, still doesn't consider abandoning dogs to be animal cruelty. The question is when politicians in Kosovo will finally realize that regulating dog ownership is ultimately the only way to alleviate the suffering of street dogs.

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Dog Placement from Our Sanctuaries

Occasionally, we receive inquiries from interested individuals in Kosovo who wish to adopt a dog. Those who request a specific breed are turned away. However, if someone, like this man, repeatedly visits a dog at the sanctuary, prepares their home to ensure the dog can live appropriately, and signs a contract for follow-up checks, they can adopt one of our rescued dogs, like LUBI here. We had found him severely injured and taken him into the sanctuary. And now he lives with a car mechanic in his workshop and yard. That is a small success.

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New Contracts with Municipalities

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The good news is that we've successfully secured cooperation agreements for the first half of 2026 with two mayors and regions, Drenas and Skenderaj. This will slightly reduce our costs for street dogs – and only for these specific ones. Our partner veterinarians are working to secure further contracts. The bad news is that we haven't yet secured a commitment from a grant-making foundation to cover a portion of our costs.

We sincerely thank you for your generosity and trust in our work.

Sincerely,

Helen Wormser, President
and the entire StrayCoCo team

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How to donate

Zürcher Kantonalbank, CH-8010 Zurich, Switzerland
Beneficiary: StrayCoCo Foundation, CH-8401 Winterthur

Swiss Francs
IBAN: CH13 0070 0110 0055 2113 2
BIC: ZKBKCHZZ80A

Euro
IBAN: CH87 0070 0130 0085 1457 7
BIC: ZKBKCHZZ80A

Purpose of payment: Sanctuary Nord-Mitrovica

Your donation makes a difference

With your support, we can significantly improve the lives of many dogs. Every contribution helps us get one step closer to our goal and give the many stray dogs in our operational regions a chance at a better l

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us: info@straycoco.com

Together, we can change the lives of animals.

StrayCoCo Foundation
c/o Probst Partner AG
Bahnhofplatz 18
CH-8401 Winterthur
Tel. +41 79 769 04 66
info@straycoco.com

Copyright © *1/2026* *StrayCoCo Foundation, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
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