01/30/23 Dogs Still Waiting in ®arkovica!
Mili, Thea, Erika, Roni, Rondo, Cruz and Ljubi¹a amongst the 35 last dogs in ®arkovica
- By the end of the month, the last due date expires for the transfer of remaining dogs from ®arkovica
In June last year, a big dog adoption campaign from ®arkovica started after the veterinary inspection issued a decision that more than 260 dogs must be transferred at very short notice. Most of the dogs are fostered and transferred into temporary habitats and into the authorized shelters and, at this moment, still 35 remain in ®arkovica. During the last eight months, the veterinary inspection extended the due date for the transfer several times, and the last due date expires at the end of January.
The project manager of Adopt Zarkovica Dogs, Ana Ivelja, is hoping that in a few months, Dubrovnik will finally have its registered shelter. The Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankoviæ, back in July, was announcing a building of a large animal shelter in Grabovica with an accommodation capacity for 350 dogs. However, in order that the remaining dogs to be placed into the appropriate conditions, the plan is for building a shelter with lesser accommodation capacity, and then later return to the original plans for a larger shelter. This would also enable the taking in of new abandoned dogs.
The shelter location is still not officially confirmed, but Grabovica is also being considered. Dogs will, as it is announced, live in containers with the possibility to exit into the fenced yard area. As said by manager Ivelja, the engineers are presently working on the problem of electricity and water supply and all other conditions as prescribed by the Regulation on Conditions to be Met by Animal Shelters.
Aside from the office, quarantine, and 800 square meters of space for dog exercise, they also plan to include a shelter space for the cats’ recovery period after the castration. Namely, in Dubrovnik, several citizens alone assist the cats and during the last years they sterilized over 3,000 cats, mostly without support from the City and that is unsustainable for the future. Animal care in Dubrovnik must start to be organized and effective and the shelter is the starting point and the only logical solution, as well as for the dogs from ®arkovica and also, in the future, for all abandoned animals.
Mili, Thea, Erika, Roni, Rondo, Cruz, and Ljubi¹a and all the remaining dogs still in ®arkovica, as Ivelja points out, are more difficult to adopt, but they are still not losing hope. They dream their story will end with a person adopting them and the one who has enough patience and even more love. The incredible stories about adopted dogs who have now significantly progressed are in favor of the fact that no dog is unadoptable. For example, a dog who had to be sedated to be transferred from ®arkovica and who hesitated from every touch, after a lot of work and time, is today a fully socialized dog seeking cuddling and sweets.
The project manager Ivelja last week visited shelters in Osijek, Na¹ice, and Èakovec which are known as good examples of abandoned animal care so their valuable experience could be implemented during the building of the new animal shelter.
The City of Dubrovnik, even though announcing the implementation of its legal obligations, still did not carry out the control of microchipping of dogs and review of all households, did not start financing the castration of cats and dogs and with the systematical education of citizens about their legal obligations. Of great importance is the work on preventing abandonment of animals that is also prescribed by the Animal Protection Act and is also expected from other local communities of Dubravaèko-neretvanska county.
It is important to point out that 120 animals were permanently adopted and that even a higher number are seeking housing with the help of temporary housing and shelters in which they are currently placed. All of them, including the 35 dogs still in ®arkovica, are advertised on www.adopt-zarkovica.eu. All who are willing to help are kindly asked to share their photos and touching stories until they find a permanent home. All interested can also help the dogs with volunteering and temporary adoption.