07/04/03 Till Holidays Do Us Part?!?
The campaign against pets abandonment before oncoming summer holidays continues
This year also Animal Friends in collaboration with the City Department of Agriculture and Forestry, organizes a campaign to bring into the public eye that there is still the problem of companion animals' abandonment prior to going away on holiday. The campaign continues because the number of abandoned animals is increasing due to summer vacations their owners are taking.
With messages such as: "Friends till the holidays separate us" and "The seaside for the family, the street for the dog?!?," Animal Friends is pleading the owners to respect their pets and not to throw them out on the streets like a used toy.
Dogs are social beings that get attached to their owners and getting thrown out on the streets presents a shocking experience for them from which they are not likely to recover. After the ones they were faithful to give them up, the only thing they can do is wander around the streets. Unfortunately, many of them are distracted so much that they get lost which puts them at risk and a large number of them gets harmed in traffic. If they manage to survive the traffic, poisoning from the citizens that are trying to get rid of them, starvation and thirst, they will, most probably get "picked up" by the dog-catchers. And their only error lays in the fact that their owners are going on a vacation.
We are asking all citizens to visit us on our informative stands that will be set up on Starcevic Square in Zagreb, on July 4 and 5 by the entrance to the Importanne Center. Over there, everyone interested will be able to get pamphlets and information on accommodation of animals in hotels for dogs and alternative accommodation.
In order to help people solve their problems caused by a pet that they can't take on a holiday with them, we have given them a possibility of placing an add on our web site so they could try to find a pet-sitter or a permanent new home for their animal. On our web site www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr and speaking machine on number 060 131 131, we have set up free classified ads where people can find new homes for their animals or someone who can take care of them. There is also a section for lost and found animals.
Considering the fact that the high temperatures are still rising, we are asking citizens of all cities to provide bowls of fresh water and food to the animals wandering round their neighborhoods. The animals are also hot and are in need for water and food, so we are pleading the citizens to install bowls with fresh water wherever is possible and wherever they see animals that are dying of thirst.
