My active involvement with the "Hope for Capice Lavinija" Animal and Nature Protection Association has opened my eyes to the heartrending plight of stray dogs in Serbia, more so with the recent committee statement regarding their liquidation. On February 7th, a session of the Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture in the Serbian Parliament saw the outrageous proposal to encourage the unscrupulous killing of all dogs that do not have owners. Dragan Jovanović, the president of the Topola Municipal Assembly and a member of this committee, suggested hunters take on this horrifying task of targeted animal cruelty.

Stray dogs are not problems to be removed from our streets in such a gruesome way; they are living beings that have the right to life. As a society, we must strive for animal management approaches that respect the rights of these animals, and that propose solutions that are compassionate and humane.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) reports, there are numerous successful examples around the world of humane population management methods that respect animal rights. These alternative approaches aim towards sterilization, vaccination and re-homing of stray dogs, rather than slaughtering them.

Innocent animals do not deserve to suffer due to the failure of humans to maintain responsible ownership and control over pet populations. The proposed policy does not merely target dogs; it strikes cruelty at the very heart of animal rights and our humanity.

https://youtu.be/WJj85O6Z9Zo

We entreaty the Serbian Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture to reconsider and denounce the proposed policy immediately. Sign our petition calling for the Serbian government to abandon the murderous policy and implement humane, ethical dog management strategies. Every signature counts in showing our collective opposition to this abhorrente proposal and our united call for compassion and justice.