Prishtina Opens Shelter to Combat Stray Dog Crisis Amid Rising Attacks

The Municipality of Prishtina on Wednesday inaugurated a centre for the treatment and sheltering of stray dogs on Wednesday, September 11, located just seven kilometres from the city centre. The facility has a capacity for 350 dogs and aims to  eventually place them up for adoption.

Just on Tuesday, two citizens were reportedly attacked by stray dogs at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK. One of them is  a hospital worker. Continuous calls have been made to the municipality and the government to take action in mitigating the issue of violent encounters with strat dogs.

Prishtina Mayor Përparim Rama stated that teams have already begun capturing dogs from the city centre and areas where they gather in packs to bring them to the shelter.

He called on the central government to get involved and invest in the initiative, emphasising that this problem cannot be resolved solely by one municipality’s efforts.

According to Rama, the teams have started capturing dogs from the central area and other spots where large packs are gathering.

“The idea is to have no stray dogs. As you know, the municipality allocates 50 euros per month to those who adopt them. We want to find homes for all of them,” Rama said.

“They need to be treated the same way throughout the country because dogs move from one place to another. I urgently call on the central level to collaborate with us. In my three years in office, the government has not allocated a single penny for this issue,” Rama further added.

He emphasised that the capacity for treatment (of what?) is 35 to 40 dogs per day, with the shelter being able to house up to 350 dogs at a time.

“We are conducting operations in all areas, especially in places where the dogs have been more aggressive, such as the UCCK. Even the police have encountered cases where trucks bring dogs (puppies) from other areas and release them in Prishtina,” Rama further explained.

Currently, approximately 3,000 stray dogs live in the capital city. While many of these dogs are friendly, they can become aggressive towards people, especially when in packs. The overpopulation of stray dogs poses a public safety threat.

Bekim Brestovci, Director of Public Services at the Municipality of Prishtina, stated that dogs will no longer be released back onto the streets as usual after they are treated for spaying and neutering.

“They will go to the shelter, and our goal is to find them adoptive homes. We have a long list of people who have applied for adoption, and we are processing their requests,” Brestovci declared.

The Kosovo Hospital and University Clinical Service issued a media statement on Wednesday, raising the alarm that the number of stray dog attacks has increased this year and calling for immediate action from the Municipality of Prishtina and the responsible institutions.

“From January 1st until now, 112 cases of various bodily injuries have been recorded, including severe cases that have endangered lives and required hospitalisation for further treatment at the Infectious Disease Clinic. Last year, 84 cases were registered at the Emergency Clinic.”

One of the most concerning aspects is that a significant portion of these attacks occurs within the campus of the UCCK itself, where the dogs gather in packs.

“UCCK is an institution that provides healthcare services. It should not become a place where the lives of patients, their families, and other citizens are endangered due to dog attacks,” the statement said.

Previous Unsuccessful Efforts to Control Stray Dogs

The stray dog problem in Kosovo is a nationwide issue, not just limited to the capital. Efforts to mitigate the situation have been minimal, with a small budget allocated by the Veterinary Agency for treatment and minor investments at the local level.

In 2023, Prishtina Mayor Përparim Rama announced an ambitious new plan. The municipal government promised to pay households 50 euros per month for every stray dog they adopt, for up to five dogs.

However, since the plan was implemented, the expectations have not been met, despite the financial incentive from the municipality.

Only 6 percent of Prishtina residents are interested in adopting a street dog, according to a survey conducted by the Animal Rights Foundation.

The main reasons for the lack of interest are the limited space in urban areas to keep dogs and the challenges of rehabilitating a street dog.

In 2023, the municipality also allocated 10 hectares of land in the village of Slivove, 26 kilometres from the city, for another park and shelter for dogs. According to the municipality, citizens will be able to visit the park with their dogs, and stray dogs will also be brought to the facility.

In 2021, the Municipality of Prishtina began installing feeding stations in 18 different areas of the city, aiming to reduce dog bites and attacks on citizens, especially during the winter season. However, this initiative did not have a significant impact, as the dogs continued to attack citizens on the streets.

Until 2011, the Municipality of Prishtina employed hunters to cull, or shoot, stray dogs.

After ending the culling campaigns, Prishtina adopted the CNVR (Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release) method as its official policy. The World Animal Protection organisation considers CNVR to be the only effective way to control the stray dog population.

In 2018, Kosovo launched a 1.3 million euro CNVR project, and Prishtina funded its own 350,000 euro CNVR campaign in 2022.

Meanwhile,  euthanasia, which has been mentioned as an option several times, is not legally permitted for widespread use. The municipality only employs this method in specific cases, such as for sick or extremely aggressive dogs, following assessments conducted by the Veterinary Agency.

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