WAV Comment:

For over 13 years we have seen exactly the same policy in Serbia, Europe.

Corruption amongst politicians (the attitude ‘making money is most important to me’ !) and municipalities failing to act, has led to Serbia NOT introducing a strategy to control and reduce its stray animal numbers, despite attempts by welfare organisations to encourage this.

We documented it all, including photos, on our sister site ‘Serbian Animals Voice’.

You can visit the site at :

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/category/serbia-central-serbia-capital-belgrade-and-serbiavojvodina-capital-novi-sad/ https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/category/serbia-central-serbia-capital-belgrade-and-serbiavojvodina-capital-novi-sad/

When will these nations learn about stray animal control procedures ?

Many have now left it too late – they should have acted years ago, and are now witnessing the results of their inactions.  Until they introduce national sterilisation programmes for strays then the problem will never go away – in fat, it will get increasingly worse.  – WAV

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EGYPT CULLS THOUSAND OF FREE-ROAMING DOGS AND CATS

More news from animal friends OIPA in Italy:

https://www.oipa.org/international/egypt-cull-stray-dogs/ 

The situation of stray dogs and cats in Egypt is dramatic. There are over 22 million stray dogs according to statistics of a recent study.

Local communities are frustrated because around 1.3 million people have been bitten by stray dogs and some have even died. On the one hand, we must admit that the danger exists and it is urgent to halt the free roaming dog population growth.

However, on the other hand, this massacre is inexcusable. The issue should be addressed through the implementation of catch/neuter/vaccinate/release programs. CNVR is the only effective and at the same time humane solution to the stray dogs problem. Such interventions should be ideally carried out by the country institutions in collaboration  with NGOs and other local animal rights associations.

The latest tragic news dates back to only a few days ago, when thousands of street dogs and cats have been found hanged up in the town of Giza, the famous touristic site close to the pyramids. These cruel acts shocked not only animal lovers but also the whole community.

Last year instead stray dogs and cats were poisoned with strychnine. The poison was thrown into rivers and dogs were shot dead or left to rot in the streets. Animal rights groups have reported the illegal import of this alkaloid that can be fatal to humans and other animals and poses also highly toxic environmental risks.

Furthermore, back in November 2018, Egypt planned to export abroad over 4000 stray dogs and cats for their meat to be slaughtered and eaten even regardless of the risk of infections transmission to humans, such as rabies virus.

Fortunately, stray cats and dogs are lovely and tenaciously protected by many animal welfare associations against the abuses perpetrated by Egyptian authorities that, without further ado, should engage in the planning and implementation of humane dog population control programs.

Among these associations, OIPA member league “Touch of Life Organization”  provided us with important information and stated the following: “We are trying to educate the people and especially children to love and respect animals, however it will take a long time to solve the problem….in some areas the government started to do Trap-Neuter-Return campaigns with veterinary help”

Azerbaijan: a new mass culling of stray dogs.

Information provided by welfare friends OIPA, Italy, EU.

https://www.oipa.org/international/azerbaijan-culling-stray-dogs/  

Baku animal activists, private citizens, tourists, and other onlookers, have been launching a new alarm in these days, through social networks, facebook and emails, to alert about a new mass killing of stray dogs undertaken by Baku (and other Azeri main cities) local authorities.

According to witnesses, Local Authorities are killing stray dogs by shooting them in the streets, probably in order to clean the city for the preparation of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix to be held on April 26^th – 28^th 2019.

According to the messages received, City Hall Officers are justifying this action with the need to prevent the risk of rabies diffusion, even if it seems that the majority of homeless dogs killed, were followed by IDEA animal care center and they were vaccinated, neutered and healthy.

It is well known that Asian Countries have a very low level of engagement in the protection of animal welfare and in the fight against animal suffering or killings.

In the Voiceless Animal cruelty Index, Azerbaijan is ranked only 36^th out of 50 countries.

Reports of inhumane culling of cats and dogs in the capital Baku already emerged at an international level in 2012 when the country planned to host Eurovision Song Contest , in 2015 for European Games and for Formula 1 Race in 2016.

OIPA already intervened in the past years, writing an official letter to the Azeri Authorities to stop inhuman method of stray dog population control.

Even if it has been widely demonstrated that CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccine and Release) Programs are the most efficient, economical, responsible and respectful methods to control and manage the number of stray dogs and the diffusion of diseases like rabies, Local Authorities in Azerbaijan continue to kill stray animals.

Leyla Aliyeva, the daughter of the Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev, has personally fought against this inhuman, cruel and evidently unuseful strategy to face the emergency of stray animals.

She opened an animal shelter in Baku, the IDEA Animal Care Center (for animal care, vaccination and sterilization); she tried to intervene directly with the Authorities by imposing a stop to dogs culling and by ordering the closure of a “shelter of death” in which stray dogs were poisoned or burned alive.

But none of this helped. Killin gs are going on.

It is important to remind that all that is happening while Azerbaijan signed the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals in 2003 and ratified it on 19 October 2007. The Convention is effectively in force in Azerbaijan since 1 May 2008 and it affirms, among others, the following principles:

Art. 11 Only a veterinarian or another competent person shall kill a pet animal

Art.12 When a Party considers that the numbers of stray animals present it with a problem, it shall take the appropriate legislative and/or administrative measures necessary to reduce their numbers in a way which does not cause avoidable pain, suffering or distress.

1. Such measures shall include the requirements that:

-if such animals are to be captured, this is done with the minimum of physical and mental suffering appropriate to the animal

(extracts from the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals)

Any violations of the Convention, implying cruel treatments, injuries or killings, are also prohibited by the Administrative Offences Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Art. 274) and are punished with an economical fine (five hundred manat).

Oipa will send an official communication to Governmental and Local Authorities to ask an immediate stop to cruelty on animals and a complete reconsideration of stray animals control strategy, in order to finally accomplish to National and International Legislation in force in the Country.

Sources:

o    avaaz.org

o    https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/country/azerbaijan

o    Voiceless animal Cruelty Index report

o    “parallel.az” – online newspaper

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One Cape Town teen decided to mark his milestone eighteenth birthday not with a traditional party, but by giving back to his community. While many people just want to throw a big celebration when they turn 18, Blake Pittaway had something else on his mind: his love for animals and an overwhelming desire to help them any way he could.

Three months before his birthday, Pittaway decided he would use his birthday money and proceeds from recycling plastic to support local animal charities.

Of his birthday, Pittaway said: “I wanted it to be a truly memorable celebration where I could not only get my family and friends involved but the community.”

First, he collected plastic bottles from the community and used the money to purchase bags of dog food for Fallen Angels Pet Rescue, an animal rescue organization in the Melkbosstrand area. To date, Pittaway has accumulated enough funds to buy 1,600 kilograms of dog food. His efforts also combat pollution, resulting in less plastic in landfills and on the streets.

Pittaway’s work has become the community-wide effort he envisioned as his birthday approached. After embarking on his initial volunteer plans, the teen started Project 18, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the homeless animals at Fallen Angels Pet Rescue.

The community support the project receives is imperative to its success, especially since Pittaway is a student and can’t do all the work himself. Project 18 is made possible through volunteers, donors, and proceeds from hat sales and the refunded plastics.

Based on the organization’s blog, which tracks its progress and activities, it’s apparent that what started as one teen’s birthday wish has evolved into a major network of support, ensuring that the dogs at Fallen Angels Animal Shelter are well fed.

Source – https://ladyfreethinker.org/teen-started-recycling-drive-just-help-shelter-animals/

WAV Comment

Well done Blake – be proud of your work; and may it go on to even bigger things to helping animals !

Website –

https://play4paws.org/?utm_source=AP-NL-dedicated-p4p-Jan-2019

Exercise your brain AND feed shelter animals with our newest website, Play4Paws.org.

We launched Play4Paws to provide our community another way to help animals in need. Play4Paws is unique in that you can feed shelter animals by playing fun and challenging brain games. The more you play, the more animal meals are donated. As we like to say, Play4Paws is the fun way to do serious good!

If you sign up for Play4Paws right now, you will also receive a free I Support Animal Rights shirt. By wearing this shirt you can literally display your support of animals on your chest.

Join right now and we’ll donate 8 shelter meals. Then, every time you play the brain games, we will donate additional meals.

Play4Paws memberships are limited so please sign up now to guarantee a spot. There is a 7 day money back guarantee so there is zero risk. If there are no memberships available when you try to sign up, we will notify you when there is an opening.

Sincerely,
Liz
Play4Paws | Animal Petitions | ForceChange