Struge
It has come to my notice that in parts of Macedonia (at least) the authorities have instigated the mass killing of stray dogs by it seems any means possible; often by shooting. For instance, there is a petition on the change.org website after the Mayor of Struge authorised these shootings. It has been signed by 56k people with a target of 75k. The statement on that website is as follows:
We have shootings in Struge, North Macedonia of dogs on the streets authorised by the mayor of the municipality. They are currently shooting to kill any stray dogs; we have blood on the streets of innocent dogs being killed whilst politicians are enjoying huge funds instead of channeling into effective spay and neuter campaigns. Dogs have already lost their lives.
I googled on this topic which revealed a wider animal welfare problem in Macedonia. My experience of writing on these stories informs me that Eastern Europe has a very poor reputation in general on animal welfare and they like their guns and hunting. It is all a bit uncivilised. Romania is as bad and they are in the EU. The country should never have been allowed to join as their animal welfare laws are not aligned to those of the EU.
In Macedonia in 2017 there was a protest – I am sure there have been others – against the mass killings of stray animals. It seems that cats are also targeted.
The OIPA website states:
Over the past week hundreds of animals have been killed on the streets of Macedonia. Strangled with traps, shot with guns and poisoned – stray animals have become victims of an organized killing. Many pets have been also been poisoned.
State organised crime
That episode of stray dog killings was instigated by owned domestic dogs attacking a child as they crossed some land. The authorities allegedly reacted by authorising mass killings. Domestic animals were caught up in it the killings. The state was (and still is?) in effect authorising criminal behavior as the killing of pets, even in Macedonia, must be a crime.
Cleaning up for tourists
On Facebook there a is webpage on this. On June 13, 2019, it reported a massacre of stray animals in Ohrid. They streets were being cleaned up for the tourist season. That means killing as many stray, street cats and dogs as possible.
Greece
Incidentally this sort of thing has happened all over Europe. Greece does it with stray cats. But it is a bit different there. Tourists like to pet the street cats so the Greeks leave them alone until it is out of season when they allegedly poison street cats en masse.
The Facebook page has a picture of a dog being petted by a tourist and the same dog lying dead in the street after the ‘clean up’ authorised and ‘commanded’ by the authorities.
The caring public who commented on the FB page were distraught. Here is an example:
I truly hate being human! Humanity has no meaning anymore…. we’re slowly heading towards the end of the World, I’m absolutely convinced. Everyone is selfish, vain, self-obsessed, greedy…. it just goes on and on….. with no care for anything or anyone else apart from their own miserable , fooking lives!!! It’s probably about time we all went up in a ball of flames anyway & end the travesty that this World has become. Truly heartbreaking – Claire Bridge.
I completely sympathise with this woman. When you see this kind of animal cruelty it is demoralising. And since then, Putin invaded Ukraine which has caused untold misery to humans and animals alike in their tens of thousands.
Careless and ignorant
The killing of innocent stray dogs, put there by humankind’s abject carelessness and stupidity is a war of a kind. Perhaps these indecent Macedonians can’t face their inadequacies in allowing the unfettered procreation of dogs and cats because they were not spayed and neutered. Rather than instigate a proper policy of spaying and neutering combined with TNR of cats and rehoming of dogs they opted for the ‘quick fix’. The mass killing of animals in any way regardless of the pain and cruelty. These are the actions of mindless, ignorant people. And these people are running the country.
Here is the opposite:
Big-hearted homeless man and stray dogs and one cat comfort each other
