10/16/18 Natasa Antoniazzo, Viktor Drago, Ana Majhenic and Dalibor Petko in a campaign for animals
Invitation for helping dogs and cats by spaying/neutering to prevent unwanted offspring and abandonment
- New public faces supported the campaign "Don't turn a blind eye, castrate"
Nowadays more than 100 municipalities and cities have prescribed permanent sterilization (spaying/neutering) as a way of breeding controlling of dogs and cats in their area and have recognized this possibility as the only responsible, compassionate and ethical tool to solve the problem of abandoned animals. Despite that, some of the Croatian local communities still did not start enforcing the law and using good legal tools which exist.
That is why opera singer Natasa Antoniazzo, together with her four cats rescued from the street, actress Ana Majhenic and her dogs Mifi and Blanka adopted from the Virovitica shelter, TV and radio host Dalibor Petko with an adopted dog Vasi and producer Viktor Drago with dogs Vinco, Yoda and Oko, invited Croatian citizens to appeal to cities and municipalities to solve the problem of abandoned animals at it's root and reduce financial costs for taking care for abandoned animals.
Viktor Drago has also actively participated in the project of spaying/neutering and adoption of dogs from Roma settlements by helping the shelter "Friends" from Cakovec. So far, more than 1100 dogs have passed through this valuable project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, but it is equally important to point out that over 350 dogs have been taken to the shelter and are now waiting for a new home.
The example of abandoned dogs in Roma settlements in Medimurje County shows why mandatory sterilization is required in the whole Croatia with the implementation of microchipping control which, according to the Animal Protection Act, should have already been done by June 30 this year.
After the sterilization of the abandoned dogs in Medimurje County, the same is planned in Koprivnica-Krizevci and Varazdin County. However, in order for the project to be truly successful, it is important to cooperate with all local communities to implement the Law.
On October 26th, on one year anniversary since the new Animal Protection Act entered into force, members of the Animal Protection Association will hold a public action at ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb inviting all local communities to implement good tools that law has given them. Wise local communities already checked whether all dogs in their area were microchipped and decided to prescribe permanent sterilization as a breeding control of dogs and cats, in order to stop the inflow of unwanted and abandoned animals.
Actress Ana Majhenic pointed out that some cities and municipalities have already done what they needed: "Now it is up to you to write to your cities to prevent unwanted offspring and abandoning animals."
Stela Cota, head of the Animal Protection Network, said: "Puppies and kittens don't fall from the sky, but are a result of human irresponsibility. The way to control reproduction should be clearly prescribed because by giving it to each person's free will, animals suffer and die and local communities and associations struggle with caring for abandoned animals."
Natasa, Ana, Dalibor, and Viktor tell everyone that it would be nice to see that this situation is recognized as alarming. They invite everyone to look upon good examples of cities. By making this video they joined their numerous well-known colleagues who already supported the valuable campaign of associations gathered in the Animal Protection Network.
The support of the campaign " Don't turn a blind eye, castrate" has already been given by the musical duo Kranksvester, Mia Dimsic, Vlatko Stampar, Zdenka Kovacicek, Ivana Miseric, Ana Gruica, Tamara Loos, Neda Parmac Klacar, Dunja Vejzovic, Nina Coric, Katarina Strahinic and Tina Koscec. Their messages can be viewed here.
