12/13/07 Don't Buy Animals - Adopt Them!
Animal Friends and Maja Vucic oppose to buying of animals and campaign to save abandoned dogs and cats
Alarming news come from the Shelter for abandoned animals in Dumovec: a huge number of abandoned dogs are waiting for someone to adopt them, which is why the shelter is unable to accomodate new dogs, which their irresponsible owners have left in the streets. The same situation is reported by all animal shelters in Croatia, while at the same time we are witnessing an increase in both legal and illegal trade with animals. Many citizens of Croatia have decided to buy an animal before the coming holidays, without considering the fact that there are numerous abandoned animals waiting in cages for someone to have mercy with them and take them into their homes.
On Thursday, December 13, at 12:00 noon a press conference will take place in the Shelter for abandoned animals in Dumovec with Maja Vucic, who has adopted an abandoned dog, Luka Oman, Animal Friends president, and Tatjana Zajec, the shelter's manager. Visitors will have the chance to see the abandoned dogs, which beg for adoption from their cages.
On Saturday, December 15, an info stand of Animal Friends will be set up on the corner of Varsavska ulica and Petar Preradovic Square, where citizens will be able to use the Internet in order to check the photos of dogs on the website of the Dumovec shelter, as well as the database of abandoned animals on the website of Animal Friends. At 12:00 noon, some of the dogs from the shelter will join the info stand and Maja Vucic will introduce them to those who are interested in adopting them. Tatjana Zajec will give advice on the proper care of dogs and point out the advantages of adopting grown-up animals.
Animal Friends will use the opportunity to draw public attention to the intolerable inefficiency and inertness of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in answering the demand of Animal Friends to urgently modify the Regulation of Dog Identification, which should include mandatory micro-chipping of all dogs. Apart from numerous associations and citizens, this campaign has been so far supported by the cities of Zagreb, Pula, Split, Rijeka, and Varazdin. Animal Friends demand that the Act on the Prevention of Infectious and Parasite Diseases in Animals and its Financing, about to be promulgated in 2008, should include mandatory micro-chipping of all dogs and the corresponding modification of the Regulation.
Animal Friends also wishes to point out that all citizens who purchase an animal not only leave the abandoned animals to their cruel destiny in shelter cages, but also join in the cruelty of breeding animals and trading with them. Therefore, we appeal to all those who can offer appropriate care to an animal that they should adopt an abandoned cat or dog. They may be sure that by doing so, they will welcome a faithful member into their families.
Last but not least there is the appeal to the citizens to help out dogs in these cold days by donating old blankets, sheets, and towels, which are always a scarcity in the shelters, as well as to educate their friends and families on the intolerability of animal trade and the necessity of adopting animals.