Serbia laws bring animal protection front and centre

14/01/2010

Rights groups agree that a legal framework for the protection of animals is slowly taking hold in Serbia. The bigger problem will be implementing it.

By Bojana Milovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade --14/01/10

New laws aim to bring positive changes to the day-to-day life of animals in Serbia while raising public awareness of their treatment, animal advocates say. [Nikola Barbutov/SETimes]

A pair of new laws aimed at improving the life of animals in Serbia brings the country closer to EU standards. The legislation has been hailed by animal rights activists.

Some activists are working to add a provision on the well-being of animals to the country's constitution and are gathering signatures to support the initiative.

Danica Drobac, of the animal rights NGO European Initiative 17, said Serbia was among the last countries in the Balkans to adopt the Animal Wellbeing Law, only doing so last summer. The Veterinary Medicine Law was passed in 2005 and the new Criminal Law in 2006.

"These laws have brought positive changes to the animals' benefit and have raised the level of awareness of animals and their treatment. For example, the Criminal Law defines not only the killing but also the abuse of an animal as a crime and foresees the penalty of prison," Drobac told Southeast European Times.

She adds, "The Animal Wellbeing Law [though] imperfect, introduces practically revolutionary changes regarding the treatment of animals. The [Wellbeing] law orders all local governments to build shelters for abandoned cats and dogs, which will undoubtedly result in the end of the horrific torture of innocent homeless animals in rural regions."

Bringing Serbian legislation in line with EU regulations on animals rights, she said, added greatly to the changes.

Another animal rights organisation, Orca, also welcomed the new laws. The group's president, Elvir Burazerovic, said the measures are pro-active in defending animals.

"Amendments and addendums to the criminal law have increased prison sentences for the abuse and murder of animals from six months to one year, while [organising animal fights is now] a crime that carries the sentence of between three months and three years," Burazerovic told Southeast European Times.

The law on raising awareness of animal rights went into effect in September, 2009 and has been implemented in Serbia's school system.

"This provision will allow education about the wellbeing of animals to be included at all levels of education," said Burazerovic. "More important than legal norms is to make animal owners more responsible, so as to prevent cases of people being bored of a dog after a bit of fun and play and throwing it out onto the street."