Dear Madams and Sirs,

 I have wrote letters and sent documentation last year to Serbian officials, President, Prime Minister and all other ministers, documentation and communication letter I sent was regarding The Article 269 of Criminal Law or Serbia.

I have documentation by my side which clearly shows that in Serbia an ongoing extermination of cats, and especially dogs are putting the violators into series of abuse cases.

Documentation and photographs show that The Article 269 of Criminal Law or Serbia is being continuously abused, and it was intentionally broken in big scale, more than 30 times during the January, February, October, November and December 2006. and January 2007.

Felony conductors were employed in Serbian Ministries, and communal services.

[ ( Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Forestry and Water Management, Ministry on Justice, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government,  Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection , Ministry of Health, Veterinary Chamber of Serbia and Communal enterprises (in major cities like, Belgrade, Nis, Valjevo, Svilajnac, etc.) ]

 My letters and documents sent in 2006. were all showing the evidence of brutal mistreatment of dogs and cats in Serbia. I was pleading Ministers to see and acknowledge my appeals, appeals of other European citizens, certificated organizations and other freedom free activists, all wrote together and then in separate letters, to Serbian officials regarding The Article 269 of Criminal Law or Serbia, sadly our last year efforts were not acknowledged.

Concluded with this day, we did not receive any proof, nor correspondence that violation of The Article 269 of Criminal Law of Serbia and with it the abuse of dogs and cats in Serbia has ended, but on the contraire, more and more investigation footage about dog and cat abuse in Serbia is coming from Serbian citizens.

 This year, I am writing again, in hope that authorities in Serbia will see how determined we are to save abused cats and dogs in Serbia, we will occupy attention of all “PET” (dog and cat) lovers in world, and together we will pressure EU to stop Serbia's profiteers from their killing practice to use Dogs for the "sake" of business.

We will succeed, with help of Serbian officials or not, but we will not stop lobbying for animals in Serbia, just as we did not stop lobbying for citizens of Serbia when they asked for help in past 15 years(and more).

 Today dirty deeds can not be hidden, today people are connected thru media and internet.. THE WORLD IS WATCHING.

Behavior toward The Article 269 of Criminal Law of Serbia is arrogant, and with it the treatment of abandoned (“stray”) animals is barbaric and after figures showed, the only reason for this “problem” existence is the profit on dogs’ life, death and carcass. Either that or the other possible solution is that Serbian Representatives do not know to communicate in written form?

Was it because of this second option, or just to see the situation with their own eyes; OIPA representatives came to talk- in person with Serbian officials, and ….OIPA representatives left worried for “stray” dogs and cats in Serbia. After that visit, OIPA (Italy) created a petition which in now circulation throughout the world.

 As evidence showed us, population of “stray” animals in Serbia is managed by the communal enterprises, Veterinary station Belgrade and other firms which are illegally participating in extermination of dogs and cats with agenda to profit thru management of “stray” animal population in Serbia.

By all this time of our investigations, violations of basic human rights and violations of The Article 269 of Criminal Law or Serbia are ongoing, which shows that after all the help that is offered to Serbia to resolve on humane way, the problem of street (“stray”) animals is still created by those who are promising that problem will be solved, by their merciless agenda to make profit on misery of those animals and on misery that is created upon the citizens who care for “stray” dogs and cats.

 If Country like Serbia, is trying to portray it self as civilized and emancipated, a country full of beauty,

then it is one of the reasons why Serbia should stop using animals (in this specific situation -Dogs ) like they are objects- as they are not-

Animals are subjects (grammatically I am correct, and in biological terms too- Dogs are subjects- not objects).

Dog is recognized as sentient being- Anyone can hate them or love them- but none can deny that dogs are kind and noble..

It is time for Serbia to wash sins and to start being one noble territory for all living beings, land without torture and pain, without bloody profits on barbaric killings of men’s best friend (dog),

as that is outrageous- in twenty-first century.

 Because of the above mentioned reasons I am protesting in the name of humanity and I ask of Serbian Representatives the following:

 *Killing/Extermination of the "stray dogs and cats" must be stopped immediately!

*Further “controlling” of “stray animal population” by the communal services must to be terminated immediately. (Organizations for animal protection must be involved, it is what they are trained to do, and that is their job.)

*Ministries must Stop supporting animal abuse, funds must be spent on:

Protection of dogs’ life- not (as past showed) on destruction of it (Organizations working with dogs in Serbia will help You in achieving this goal.>> ( NOTE: contacts of organizations are accompanying this text<< )

 Serbia is European country, even though body of EU did not recognized Serbia as a member, Ironic, but that should not discourage Serbia to move forward.

Animals ARE protected by laws- in emancipated areas of this world, Serbia do not have to be “a member” to show that is civilized, but should do all to keep being civilized.

Animals are protected by law in World, why is Serbia different?

 I will keep writing, and others will lobby in World parliament to stop Serbian officials in brutal treatment of “stray” animals in Serbia.

Please, do not try to tell me about social problems and violence, and war that Serbia went trough, I am aware of that, and I sympathize with Serbian citizens that craved for change and I helped them. Several Serbian representatives have written about that in 2006., with same excuse-war, which Serbia is trying to keep in past.

 I put my hopes that this year 2007., instead of reply full of denial, from cabinet of Environmental Minister I will get letter with acknowledgment and with plan of action to prevent cruelty to animals in Serbia.

It easy to say affirmative words and make big promises, and then to do nothing about it- as you have done in past, you have portrayed Serbia’s representatives as possessor of revolutionary hearts, then please do act in that manner.

By closing your eyes on your own bad deeds- will not erase those bad deeds.

Please, do not let humanity be ashamed of humans, stop torturing animals.

 NOTE:

Following are contacts for organizations which are in communication with certified world organizations and all together are working on animal protection; please do contact them and resolve this “problem” of “stray” animals with them.

Organizations to contact are Serbian organizations who are working for animal rights, animal protection and animal rescue. Those organization know their job, and do it professionally that's why you should contact them and work with them as only like that problem will be solved, when everyone is doing a job he suppose to do.

 Organizations to contact in -SERBIA:

 Centar za razvoj ekoloske svesti IZVOR: izvorekoloskesvesti@gmail.com

Drustvo za zastitu zivotinja »ARKA» Predsednik Branka Pasko: Arka@eunet.yu

Društvo prijatelja životinja»Prijatelj»-EPAR,predsednik Slavica Mazak Bešlić: contact@epar.org.yu

Centar za Evropske Integracije i Regionalnu Inicijativu  «CEIRI» ,predsednik,Oliver Veličković: ceiri_nish@yahoo.co.uk

Društvo za zaštitu životinja»SREĆKO»,predsednik Zvezdana Radojčić

Društvo za zaštitu životinja»ZOV», predsednik,Snežana Tadić

Društvo za zaštitu životinja»NIŠ», Jelena Kostić

 Thank You for Your time,

 Sincerely,

NAME & CONTACT INFO :

Tourist feedback (Sept. 2006.):

I saw the mistreatment of those sentient beings, “stray” dogs and cats in Serbia.

Those horror scenes will stay engraved in my mind… I was very scared and I am thinking should I ever visit Serbia again after my all I saw there—

We were visiting Belgrade, Basketball Championship was there.

Near the “ARENA” my Family saw dead dogs; with some green foam all over their face…we were horrid by this scene. We are huge dog lovers.. My son started to shake and screamed franticly.. And we called taxi to take us back to hotel… . Later we heard from friends it was a poison, and that’s why dogs were having foam on face… we could get poisoned there on the spot! We had to take out child to doctor, and still- our child have nightmares-because he love dogs.

This is why I think that Serbia should add in her tourist info sheet, the following text:

"Be aware-animal cruelty all around you in Serbia-WARNING -dogs are laying poisoned on streets- do not take your kids with you in Serbia- they could be left with psycho.problems/scars for the rest of their life's "

Bea Simion,  (Miami)