07/17/05 The Beagles' Bones Fractured!
Latest update on the events at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb: the beagles' bones fractured!
On Sunday, July 17, 2005 after the call of Ljiljana Pinter, the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb, Animal Friends learned the shocking news: on 20 of the beagles the experiments have started!
According to the dean Pinter, last week on Tuesday and Wednesday, dr. Antun Brkic - the Croatian dr. Mengele - on his own decision and against all procedures and legislatives, together with his staff of the project fractured the bones of 20 beagles, and this despite the fact these beagles are officially still in quarantine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The fracturing of the bones was done despite the fact that the so-called scientific project, for which the dog's bones were broken, was not authorized by the ministry nor the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and despite the protests of animal welfare and animal rights organizations, celebrities, Croatian media and public in common.
Animal Friends today received the permission from Ljiljana Pinter, the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb, "to control through representatives of the Animal Friends and Zagreb Association of Animal Welfare Organizations, to, after their petitioning, put up a watch at the entrance of the quarantine of the Department of Surgery, Orthopedics and Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb, where the 32 beagles are situated, with the idea that on mentioned dogs no tests will be proceeded."
Like this Animal Friends started a 24 hours duty, to which they also invited the citizens to join them to protect the dogs, as long as they are not safe. People interested in the duty may volunteer on the phone-number of Nina Coric at 00385 91 2527 488. On Monday, July 18 Nikolina Pisek and other celebrities will show their support for the homing of the beagles in front of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Such a crime without any precedence case in Croatia's veterinarian and scientific history and praxis undoubtedly shows how insufficient the current Animal Welfare Law is, which is misused to torture and abuse animals, instead of protecting them. After the proposition for the new Animal Welfare Act, which Animal Friends compiled at the end of last year, and which was discussed and rejected as too futuristic by the Croatian Parliament, we wonder if the current events at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine may also be characterized as too "futuristic." Would back then the members of the Parliament have reacted on that proposition, such crime on animals could not occur.
However, in this proposition for animal welfare we requested the foundation of an Ethical Committee, which should be formed out of veterinarian, medical, biological, pharmaceutical, or zoo-technical experts, as well as representatives of organizations that functions on the field of animal welfare and rights. The duty of such Ethical Committee would be to offer advice in ethical questions and animal welfare issues, as well as to suggest criteria and give ideas for the issuance to permission for animal experimentation. In the same way would this Ethical Committee for the protection of test animals be authorized in case of violation of this ethical codex, by informing the authorities in charge at the same time, to stop the experiments.
This is why we request an addition to the Animal Welfare Act, which the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management intends to suggest in the parliament procedure. It should not just be left simply as a make up for the law as it was until now, but a law that practically could be used and would offer protection for the animals. Those who break that law should receive highest penalty.
Animal Friends will also sue dr. Antun Brkic and other individuals involved in his affair for criminal acts and breaking of all moral and ethic laws. And with this also start a campaign for collection of donations to maintain such a trial. In the same way we, as organization, will care that these beagles will receive professional help in regard to healing, socialization, spay/neutering, and find a good home.
We invite all citizens and the Croatian public to help and condemn this criminal act!
At this point we want to thank the Croatian media, who pursued this issue and with this helped the truth to come out to the public.
