Will “Varangians” save our dogs?

On the eve of Euro-2012 Ukraine that is not capable and is not willing to solve the problem of homeless dogs has gained wide publicity all around the world. Cinema stars, European organizations urged Ukrainian government to stop cruelty towards animals and solve the problem using civilized methods. Recently, German Princess Maja von Hohenzollern visited Ukraine. She brought European veterinarians for advising Kyiv specialists and performing free sterilization of animals. Unfortunately, some mass media got interested in this event only from the perspective of the idea whether the Princess is “real” or “not real.” The experts stress that foreign doctors can help, but they can not solve our problems for us. Why, after all, can’t Ukrainian veterinarians unite in a national social movement and perform sterilization? Why the situation with homeless animals is of a bigger concern not to us but to foreign doctors and princesses?

Tamara TARNAVSKA, president of the International Animal Protection Society SOS:

“The problem of free sterilization of animals by foreign specialists was first mentioned in Ukraine by Swiss doctors (in 1998) based in local clinics and shelters. It all went quiet, because Swiss doctors invested money, while Ukrainian officials watched it and stole the money from budget. Subsequently in 2008 and 2009 representatives of the International Veterinarian Service of Britain came to perform free sterilization. They worked in local clinics, the way Germans do now. The officials again just watched. Now the “Varangians,” Germans, the next will be French and Austrian doctors and Ukraine is not capable of doing anything. In reality, it just doesn’t want to do anything because most of the officials and service utilities are fine with the situation around homeless animals. They can charge the money off the budget, they can frighten people with mythical disease unconfirmed by “numerous bites,” they can form a negative image of an animal. After announcing rabies, expired vaccines can be written off or new vaccines can be purchased from “the right” people. I am ashamed of the country Ukraine! However, foreign specialist won’t solve this problem because their task is to show what should be the attitude and how things need to be done. If Ukrainian officials won’t support those noble people nothing will happen.

“In the West there are associations of veterinarians. (There is one in Ukraine: there are 22,000 doctors in it.) Those are the people who come from abroad to wild countries, where problems are not solved, on humanitarian missions. Ukraine is among such countries. What are our doctors doing? Last year in October I was in the EU and met with European officials from the European Commission on Animal Rights. They told me there that after speaking with Ukrainian veterinarians and officials they made a conclusion that veterinary medicine in Ukraine is a business project. I would totally agree with this conclusion: I can name five people at most, who provided unconditional support. The rest demanded payment.”

Tetiana METELIOVA, member of the Interagency Working Group of Cabinet of Ministers on the Development of Regulations for Enforcement of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Animals from Cruelty”:

“We are not able and are not willing, at least at the level of institutions, to solve our own problems with civilized methods. European experience shows that any solution of the issue of homeless animals, be it trapping without return, as is practiced in England, or catching dogs with return to the place of prior residence, as it is done in Greece, somewhere in Italy and Spain, as well as Malta, won’t solve the problem if it falls as a burden on NGOs. Those countries are successful where efforts of nature lovers are supported by authorities, who provide the legal restrictions on the breeding of domestic animals.”