In Serbia, local governments don’t have any legal program focused on irresponsible pet owners which should be called (under section 54 of the Animal Welfare Act) “Stray cat and dog population control program”. This illegal situation exists since June 10, 2009, because of the omission of the Ministry of Agriculture - Veterinary Directorate. Having in mind uncontrolled owners and the pyramid of cat and dog reproduction, in Serbia there are no legal shelters whose accommodation capacities correspond to the environment specifics, as well as none of them acts lawfully towards the animals, citizens and the public money.

Legal reduction of the stray cat and dog population can only be achieved by reducing the number of irresponsible pet owners – with the lawful punishment of all active legal entities: individuals (pet owners) and the zoohygienic services of the local government, as well as the responsible people in the local government bodies and republic agencies who act contrary to the law and lead to the suffering and killing of animals, expensive and justified compensation claims of injured citizens, as well as to the repetitive waste of public money year after year.

We demand that the Ministry of Agriculture - Veterinary Administration finally approaches to a global solution of this problem and solve it.