This issue is released in time when Animal Friends Croatia celebrates its fifth anniversary, and it begins with an adequate quote for the marking of these international days: 'As custodians of the planet it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding. Please help to stop this madness.' - Richard Gere

In this issue:
- Spaying and Neutering Save Lives
- Compassionate People Do Not Eat Animals
- Indefensible Cruelty: Appeal For Saving Bears
- Praises, News and Announcements

Spaying and Neutering Save Lives

On August 24, Animal Friends Croatia organized an educative action about the importance of spaying and neutering of companion animals in front of hotel Dubrovnik in Zagreb. AFC's info stall was accompanied by guardians and their spayed and neutered companion animals, who wanted to stand as example to other citizens by showing the humane gesture of adopting abandoned animals and also demonstrate the appropriateness and necessity of spaying/neutering. Detailed information on spaying and neutering were provided by the veterinarian and manageress of the Shelter for abandoned animals of the City of Zagreb, Tatjana Zajec. It is important to point out that, in spite of the big abandoned animals issue, there are no spaying/neutering programs, which could significantly reduce the number of abandoned animals.

Compassionate People Do Not Eat Animals

In order to bring into spotlight animals exploited for human consumption, on August 29 and 31 and September 2, AFC held info stalls with vegan tasting in Rijeka, which attracted lots of tourists and citizens of Rijeka.

In mid-September billboards were set up in Zagreb, which invited citizens to be compassionate in their diet and with their clear message tried to reach the hearts of those who eat animals and think of themselves as compassionate people.

Indefensible Cruelty: Appeal For Saving Bears

With a demo in front of the British Embassy in Zagreb on September 21, AFC activists called on the Queen and British Ministry of Defence to stop the massacre of black bears for ornamental headpieces. Dressed in black and wearing bear masks, four AFC members, with their limbs bloodied and painfully caught in steel traps, represented how real bears are baited and caught in the wild for the Queen’s Guards’ ceremonial headgear.

Since they are extinct in Europe, in order to ornament the Queen's Guard's hats bears are killed in Canada, which shows that killing animals for fur isn't just a local issue but the whole world should stand united against such barbarism. Please sign the petition at www.unbearablecruelty.co.uk/petition.asp to help PETA Europe's ongoing efforts to call on the Queen's Guards to stop wearing hats made of bear skin, especially since fur farming is banned in the United Kingdom already since 2003.

Praises, News and Announcements

- AFC organization praises Mr Zeljko Vukovic, higher inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Department of Nature Protection, who arrested Italian poachers and in only two days prevented the smuggling of protected killed birds on customs crossings Ilok and Gunja. The number is about 1,011 birds altogether, whilst the value of the protected birds is estimated at 126,000 USD.

- Animal Friends also praise the higher inspector Ms Ivanka Jelenic, who conducted an inspection in the night club BOA-M in Malinska which kept a snake inside the glass dance podium and issued an order that the snake should be transfered to a place with appropriate living conditions.

- The praises go also to the mayor of Velika Gorica, Mr Tonino Picula, and Bad Blue Boys Dinamo football club fans from Velika Gorica who 'declared war' on animal abusers after one teenage boy beat a dog Floki, cut out his tongue, broke his teeth and broke his spine.

- On August 27th the Prince Rupert chapter of the BC - SPCA was to hold an all you can eat crab feast for $10.00. When Earle Bingley of the Canadian Voice For Animals (www.canadianvoiceforanimals.org) received the SPCA newsletter with the advertisement for the event, he immediately started a petition and letter writing campaign to stop the Crab Boil. If you also think that it is wrong to advocate the eating of other animals to raise funds to save all the cuddly animals please sign the petition at: www.ipetitions.com/petition/spcacruelty.

- AFC activists held an info stall on a big Vegetarian picnic on September 10 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and used this opportunity to briefly talk to Slovenian president Mr. Janez Drnovsek and presented him with a copy of the book Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust by Charles Patterson.

- The new issue of European Coalition to End Animal Experiments Testing Times Newsletter is out, so we invite you to read the latest news about animal experimentation at: www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/data/file_2606.pdf.

- The ban on breeding animals for fur in Croatia is included in the Final Proposal of the Animal Protection Act of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. However, the transition period for this provision is set at unbelievably long 10 years! Besides, dogs could still be killed after 30 days in animal shelters.

- After successful last year's concert on World Vegetarian Day, Animal Friends this year too invite to a free concert in Zagreb's club Boogaloo on Friday, September 29, with the beginning at 8 P.M. The following bands will play: Nervousstand, Scroll, Dead by Mistake, Igut, and Hidden Layer.

- Animal Friends are disappointed by the act of the State Attorney which dismissed the report of Kreso Grgic, a retiree who in November last year threw his dog Tina from a balcony and attempted to beat her to death by a bar, in which he was stopped by passers-by. Beside the statement of witnesses, the State Attorney had also the police oppinion which states that the dog didn't jump from the balcony by herself.

- On account of the articles entitled 'Breams Were in Trouble – and We Almost Joined Them!' and 'The Capital Score for the President', published in the Open Sea magazine on August 25, 2006, AFC organization sent an open letter to the Croatian president Stjepan Mesic inviting him to show compassion to fish and enclosing him an interview with the president of Slovenia, Janez Drnovsek, who is publicly known for criticizing and condemning violence against all living beings.

- Animal Friends reacted to the article published in Vecernji list and titled 'Parents' Negligence', from August 26, in which vegetarians, vegans and macrobiotics were called upon as child molesters. The reaction can be seen at www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=662.

With thanks to everyone who find a way to help us in our work, we want to motivate you to read the following sentence and become active for the animals: Nobody made a bigger mistake than the one who did nothing, because he thought doing little is all he could do.

Your Animal Friends Croatia