Stop the removal and euthanasia of dogs from South Kosovo Dog & Cat Shelter

Help stop Prishtina Municipality from removing all 600+ dogs from South Kosovo Dog & Cat Shelter (SKDCS).

During an unannounced sanitary inspection on Tuesday 19th August 2014 inspectors verbally notified SKDCS that all 600+ dogs will be removed from the shelter by 1st September 2014 and sent to a known high-kill shelter that only has space for 40 dogs.

No reasons were given for the removal, nothing has been provided in writing and Mentor Gashi, Shelter Manager, was threatened with 3 1/2 years in prison if he released the dogs rather than send them to the other shelter to their certain death. SKDCS has a great reputation for rescuing stray dogs and with the new structure is complete with a new adoption programme that will mean more stray dogs can be rescued.

We must stop this action against SKDCS now! Full petition being submitted is attached.

To the Mayor of Prishtina, Trepca No 2 10 000 Pristhine


We, the undersigned, formally request the following of Prishtine Municipality:


Cease and desist all actions against South Kosovo Dog  Cat Shelter, in particular threats to remove all dogs and place them in another shelter/euthanise them for the reasons listed below



  1.     No decisions, or reasons for the decisions, have been provided in writing so that a formal response to the decisions can be provided and legal advice sought.  We respectfully request that you please provide this by 5pm Friday 22nd August 2014 along with the information requested below:

  2.     Inspection records from SKDCS Shashkov shelter

  3.     Any guidelines, Law or Policy followed when officials made the decision about SKDCS

  4.     The names and details of the official/s who made the decisions relating to the removal of the dogs from SKDCS.

  5.     Set out clearly the decision/s made and the reason/s for the decision to remove the dogs from SKDCS.

  6.     State which Law or Policy was used/followed when making the decision/s.


We ask that you keep all papers pertaining to this decision and provide them to us upon formal request.



  1.     There is no reason (legal or otherwise) to remove the dogs from an already established shelter, that is on private land, and that has a proven good reputation and track record for this specialist area of work.  There are disabled dogs and puppies that are settled into the shelter, which is equipped with dog houses, secure fencing, and fresh food and water.  We now have an adoption programme that will ensure more dogs can be removed from the streets.  If there are any violations, national or local, please set these out in your decision letter by 5pm on Friday 22nd August 2014.

  2.     It is not cost-effective, and is counter-productive, to allow anyone else to set up another shelter to take dogs that are already under the care of SKDCS; it is a better use of tax-payer's money to use the 50,000 Euros on expanding SKDCS.  With expansion and our adoption programme, more dogs can be removed from the streets, neutered, vaccinated and adopted.  Please provide your financial analysis that helped you make the above-mentioned decision.

  3.     Any action to remove any of the dogs from SKDCS and either place them in another shelter or euthanise them, is not in keeping with EU Commision’s Article 13 TFEU, which sets out that “animals are sentient beings and should not endure pain and suffering”.  The stray dog issue in Prishtine should therefore be dealt with, with their health, safety and welfare borne in mind, which means without causing unnecessary or unavoidable harm or suffering.  

  4.     Mass murder of of the dogs at SKDCS will breach the aforementioned Article, and will not help solve the stray dog issue, as it has proven to be completely ineffective in controlling the stray population across Europe; the only effective ways are Catch, Neuter and Release, or by catching, neutering and adopting the dogs out, whether in Kosovo, in EU or internationally.


Note: This petition will be signed by SKDCS supporters within Kosovo, who will present a signed hardcopy of the petition at the debate on Thursday 21st August 2014, and will be signed electronically by those supporters across Europe and worldwide and delivered by 5pm 27th August 2014 at the latest.  ESDAW, Four Paws, Ministry of Agrticulture, Ministry of Tourism and the EU Commission will be sent a copy of the petition in the event that Prishtine Municipality go ahead with removing the dogs without considering the petition and other information presented against the decision.

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