03/25/10 Veterinary Clinic Pokupsko Celje
VETERINARY CLINIC POKUPSKO CERJE d.o.o.
c/o Predrag Baraba, owner and person in charge
Cerje Pokupsko 29a
10414 Pokupsko - Cerje Pokupsko
March 25, 2010
Subject: Urgent demand for compliance with the Animal Protection Act
Dear Mr. Baraba,
We ask you to permit us insight into your documentation on abandoned and lost animals that are in your care. This should include the number of dogs, their identity, the time of arrival, veterinary care, a photograph, the way and place of advertisements for rehoming, and all other data referring to each particular animal which should be the basis of any responsible, professional, and legal activity of any institution such as yours.
Apart from documenting the reception of animals, their vaccination, and veterinary care; according to the Animal Protection Act, all animals should be advertised for adoption in the mass media since placing them up for adoption is the main purpose of any animal shelter.
The Animal Protection Act does not prescribe obligatory killing of dogs after 60 days, but only mentions it as the last measure, and only if all preconditions are provided. In addition to the preconditions mentioned, a very important precondition is certainly this: the lack of space in a shelter combined with other shelters and organizations rejecting the animal, leaving no other housing option whatsoever.
Therefore, we demand that you should stop killing animals completely and at once. We also demand that you comply to the Animal Protection Act in the future and introduce the practice of detailed documentation and thorough transparency into your work.
According to our sources of information, some of the adopted dogs were even suffering from intestinal parasites, which means that you did not fulfill your obligations from paragraph 5 of article 21 of the Ordinance on Conditions for Animal Shelters and Sanitary Services (Official Gazette No. 110/04), and we demand that your practice should be adjusted to it immediately.
Compliance to the Animal Protection Act, detailed documentation, and transparency of work are also demanded from you on account of the contract that you have signed with the town of Velika Gorica and its citizens, who finance your activity; as well as the general public, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 58 of the Animal Protection Act (Official Gazette No. 135/06).
Beside urgent measures, we would also appreciate a prompt reply.
Best regards,
Luka Oman
President of Animal Friends
C.C.
- Town of Velika Gorica, Zlata Filipovic, Head of the Department of Economy and Agriculture