Dogs Trust: We sympathize with the victim of the dog attack and appeal to the responsibility of owners and authorities

Credit: Richard Murgatroy Dogs Trust sincerely sympathizes with the victim of the attack of two owner dogs in Sarajevo on October 4, 2021. and urges the competent institutions to urgently take all legal measures to eliminate the risks of irresponsible behavior of this and all other dog owners.   Incidents with owner dogs are the result of irresponsible ownership of dogs, i.e., irresponsible attitude of owners towards the community, but also towards the dogs themselves, whether it is a matter of insufficient care or abuse of their characteristics. Among other obligations, the Law clearly prescribes for dogs in the community to be on a leash, and certain dogs must also have a muzzle. Responsible ownership includes everything from cleaning up after your pet on a walk to adequate control and not abandoning dogs.   We believe, and since the beginning of our activities in BiH, we note that the irresponsibility of people is the main problem and responsibility - the solution. Responsible ownership and adequate keeping of dogs are a key element of an efficient Population Management System, which is also prescribed by the Law on Protection and Welfare of Animals in BiH, and which is a prerequisite for safety and welfare of both communities and animals.   The legal dog population management system that we support through valuable programs that we have been funding since 2012 is the only way to manage all dogs responsibly, to solve the problem of stray dogs permanently and sustainably, and to prevent safety and health risks for humans and animals.   In this regard, we once again call on local authorities and all responsible institutions to start treating this problem as a priority, and to ensure that the Law is implemented consistently and continuously, which they can now do much more efficiently and at lower cost, using the results of our support over the past decade.   The competent inspections now have at their disposal the State Database of owners and their dogs, so that they can more easily strengthen supervision and adequate action against irresponsible owners. Citizens should report any suspicion of irresponsible ownership of dogs to the veterinary inspection, whether it is a potential threat to people or the dogs themselves.