Yesterday, A-TV, a local TV in Kosovo, shared a video, where a person in Prishtina can be seen mercilessly beating his dog in the middle of the day (see the video).
The case has already been reported to the Police and the Main Prosecutor’s Office of Pristina, and NGOs expect the law enforcement bodies to identify the abuser and give a deserved punishment for this terrible abuse, based on the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, which foresees imprisonment up to 1 year for animal cruelty offenses.
Such images and videos prove once again the urgent need for strict implementation of provisions for the protection of animals, and on the other hand, they also show the need for informing society about the responsible treatment and keeping of animals.
We have said many times that there are many scientific studies that show the connection between animal abuse and other forms of violence, such as violence against women and children, and even more serious crimes.
Therefore, it is very important that people such as in the video are brought under control as soon as possible and given legal responsibility for such cruel acts.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development must work urgently to create the legal basis for determining the conditions for keeping animals, and on the other hand, the FVA, together with the municipalities, must be intensively committed to ensure that all companion animals, especially dogs, be identified with a microchip and registered in the FVA’s central animal registration database.
While the law enforcement bodies (Police, Prosecutor’s Office, Courts) should be more serious in pursuing crimes against animals, and not give symbolic monetary punishments as has happened so far.
Thanks to the criminal report made by Fondacioni për të Drejtat e Kafshëve organization, the Kosovo Police received the authorization from the Main Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina to start investigations and in these two days, the abuser was identified.
According to the data they have, the abuser is still free and has not even been questioned by the Police (according to the procedures that must be followed) and they asked the Kosovo Police and the Main Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina to react quickly to arrest the abuser, confiscate the poor dog that is probably still alive (but this still needs to be officially confirmed) and that an indictment be filed as soon as possible for the abuser, so that he is punished with effective imprisonment and a ban on keeping animals (dogs) as provided for under the Criminal Code of Kosovo.
This is a serious case of abuse, and such people should not be allowed to keep dogs or any other animals.
By Fondacioni për të Drejtat e Kafshëve, we here at Dogs.AL want to share this case as much as possible and ask for an account and a quick response from the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office.
