Dobila sam email od Mrs. Dan Paden-a iz PETA-e koji u cjelosti prenosim ovdje:
From: Dan Paden <
[email protected]>
Date: Mar 23, 2007 4:10 PM
Subject: FW: Dogfighting in Bosnia
To:
Hello all –
Below is the letter that I wrote and just sent to officials regarding the cruelty you all helped inform me about earlier this week. I just wanted to share this with you, and thank you all for your help in this matter. I will share news with you on this when I receive it.
Happy weekend and, again, many thanks for your compassion.
Dan
_____________________________________________
From: Dan Paden
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 5:07 PM
To: '
[email protected]'
Cc: nihad.fejzic
Subject: Dogfighting in Bosnia
March 23, 2007
Her Excellency Dr. Bisera Turkovic
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2109 E St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Ms. Ambassador:
PETA is the world's largest animal rights organization, with more than 1.6 million members and supporters dedicated to animal protection. Recently , we have received numerous complaints related to dog fighting in the city of Zenica. We are writing, respectfully, to learn what role your nation's government is playing to put an end to this cruelty, and how you would advise PETA and our complainants to assist in that regard.
Numerous videos of at least one dogfight reportedly staged in Zenica were posted to a Web site earlier this month. The videos have since been removed, and the police in Zenica have been informed of the situation. Sadly, reports of similar activities in Sarajevo have been shared with Bosnian animal advocates. As you may know, a dogfight is a cruel activity in which two dogs are forced to fight for the sake of human entertainment and profit. The dogs are raised under horrific conditions and abusively trained to be aggressive. Officials who raid these sadistic spectacles often find many dead and dying dogs. Dogs who do survive often sustain serious injuries, such as broken bones and crushed cartilage. Many suffer and die from blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, or infection hours or days after a fight.
Please understand that dog fighting also threatens the welfare of Bosnia's citizens. Mental health professionals and top law enforcement officials consider all forms of cruelty to animals to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric Association identifies cruelty to animals as one of the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorders. Further, dog fighting is almost invariably linked to illegal gambling and the presence of illicit drugs and weapons. Raids on animal-fighting operations frequently lead to the discovery of major drug networks and the seizure of large caches of firearms. Violent crimes are also commonly associated with blood sports.
Our previous correspondence with various officials regarding such abject cruelty as that which is reported to occur in Zenica and beyond has frequently brought answers citing "the misunderstanding" of other nations' cultures. Of course, torturous practices such as those described above have no part in any culture. With respect, we ask that you bear in mind that the European Union—to which we understand that Bosnia-Herzegovina aspires to belong—expressly states that its Animal Welfare policies "start with the recognition that animals are sentient beings" and "aim … to ensure that animals [do] not endure avoidable pain or suffering …" Surely you will agree that fighting dogs flies in the face of this EU goal.
Thank you for your time and consideration, Ms. Ambassador. I look forward to your response—our international membership, as well as the many visitors to our travel Web sites, will greatly profit from your guidance.
Sincerely,
Dan Paden, Researcher
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department
cc: Dr. Nihad Fejzic, Deputy Director, State Veterinary Office
________________________________________________________________________
Mozda ovo nece doprinijeti nekoj vecoj akciji niti promjenama sto se tice postupanja prema zivotinjama, ali svakako govori da se nas glas cuje i da nije sve ono talasanje bilo uzalud.