Action: Prevention of the massacre of abandoned animals- In the forthcoming days of huge sport event: “Belgrade Univesiade 2009.” (July 01. – 12. 2009.)

 Over the past years Belgrade was very busy City, many big events had happened in Belgrade like, Eurovision contest, EYOF... and now, the Sport Universiade 2009. Every event of this magnitude brings out the best and the worst sides of one City and (with it) of one Nation… Authorities and Citizens hopes are to show the quality and openness of their City in their best manners.. But sadly- many of those efforts fall under the expected norms simply because there is no chance to hide what it CANT be hidden (like poverty, city’s bad zones and dirt, homeless people and abandoned animals .. ) Abandoned animals were victims (sacrificed for the event), killed for the sake of “clean streets” !? This year- we tried a little bit different approach, we had a bad experience because the Authorities were repeating the massacre of unwanted animals year after year.. And this time we are trying to stop the massacre before it begins. 

June the 1^st 2009.  The meeting was held to reinforce the tactics to prevent the mass execution of unwanted/ street dogs -with the main purpose of “street cleaning” before the major event Universiade 2009. is to begin.. Streets are to be “cleaned” for the foreign sportiest and visitors of Belgrade (sadly- Belgrade citizens gets clean streets only in time of some major events like this one).

Meeting was held between people who care for streets dogs (activists and common citizens involved in the rescue of abandoned animals), one rescue organization from Belgrade (EI 17) and Leading man (chosen by Authorities for this occasion) Vlada Terzin from secretariat of communal services and his two people which he choose for this action.

 Our mutual goal is to preserve dogs on streets, not to remove them.

 The Conclusion of this meeting was NOT to remove dogs from their habitat (the Belgrade’s streets … ) but to move them from the itinerary route (the routes which are chosen to be routes used for the purposes of upcoming UNIVERSIADE 2009. )  This action is to be coordinated between Secretariat for communal services Team and the group of Dog care takers from Belgrade (from all areas which are in the Universiade itinerary).  

Care Takers assignment is to relocate “problematic categories” of dogs and to prepare them self’s for patrolling in their areas when Universiade begins (to play some kind of “tampon zone” role between foreign visitors, citizens and dogs on streets) .

Second meeting will be held between Vlado Terzin Team and Care Takers. > Coordinators that have been chosen on meeting held on June 1^st 2009. ,

Purpose of next meeting is to resolve the problem of “aggressive dogs” or other categories of dogs and other problems care takers could face in forthcoming action. Notorious Ovca kill pound is “on hold” - which means this facility will not be used for killing, but instead is now changed into open vet. Ambulance (which will be under our monitoring), veterinary station Belgrade is also “on hold” which means they too are restricted , no killing policy is now on power and this facility is to be used only for aiding needs.

We are not sure will this policy be on power trough all action, but we will be monitoring it and we hope that the word which Vlado Terzin gave to us- that NO DOG WILL BE KILLED FOR NO REASON- will have full effect. Caretakers will give their best- we will patrol and do all is asked from us…and  if there are aggressive dogs- we will relocate them somewhere (we hope to reserve “dog apartments” or similar /dog shelters are full- but we will try with tem too if first option fails ) .We are hoping that this will be the start of one new chapter- with the Animal Police Team which is to be formed in future, with our volunteers and other animal lovers involved- This is just one new page to be opened.. Varieties and new possibilities are in front of us, Belgrade activists will be involved deeply from now on…This time, we hope not to see dogs sacrificed in the name of sport, and to get more involved into decision making how to save dogs on Belgrade streets.

/ IARA S/ Belgrade Team/ Belgrade/ June 2009. www.Nezavisni-Aktivisti.bravehost.com, www.C4SAIN.bravehost.com

+ additional info. More about forthcoming event Universiade and the route they will be using: http://www.universiade-belgrade2009.org/