Animal Protection in Kosovo: A Long Road Ahead

Animal protection in Kosovo is still in its early stages—a journey fraught with challenges, where people often position themselves as victims, while it is the animals who silently endure unimaginable suffering. Stray dogs, abandoned and unloved, wander the streets: starving, abused, and plagued by disease. Their survival depends on the rare kindness of passersby who might offer a scrap of food or a fleeting moment of compassion. Their fate, however, rests squarely in human hands: will they survive the poison, the bullets, or the illegal extermination orders still issued by some institutions?

Tackling this issue demands a multi-faceted approach, which involves simultaneously managing abandoned dogs through sterilization, microchipping, adoption, removing those that belong in shelters from the streets (as a last resort), and tightening control over pet ownership and their owners. At the very least, consistent enforcement of existing laws, regulations, and the national animal protection strategy could provide a lifeline to these voiceless creatures.

A Strategy Ignored

Kosovo’s national strategy to manage stray dogs, adopted in October 2022, remains largely unimplemented. Activists criticize the government and municipalities for failing to take concrete steps, leaving adoption, sterilization, and microchipping efforts on paper. Irresponsible pet ownership and a lack of funding further fuel the growing stray population.

Elza Ramadani, director of the Animal Rights Foundation and advisor to Kosovo’s prime minister, highlights the failure to address root causes. She condemns municipalities for disregarding the law and lacking basic compassion.

Despite global organizations like Four Paws advocating for change, progress has stalled. Ramadani credits NGOs and volunteers for preventing an even worse crisis, noting their tireless work despite social stigmatization.

On the Margins of Society

Activists in northern Kosovo face not only the challenges of animal welfare but also the stigma attached to their work.

“No one listens to us. We are on the margins of society—mocked, insulted, and threatened. Animals are kicked in front of our eyes, and the police do nothing. They think we’re fools, as if we care about animals out of some whim,” says Marija Glasnović, a volunteer with the organization Šapa.

Jelena Ilić, another Šapa volunteer from North Mitrovica, adds that the stigma is compounded by the fact that their efforts are unpaid.

“People think they can walk all over us. They call me about their injured dog, expecting me to drop everything because I feel sorry for the animal. But they don’t even take responsibility—like putting their own dog in their car and driving to a vet. If you have a pet, you need to have a vet,” Ilić explains, describing the daily challenges she faces on top of her work with stray animals.

Accountability for Irresponsible Dog Ownership

Argjenta Dociqi, director of a Kosovan dog rescue organization with over 11 years of experience, highlights a growing issue: the abandonment of pedigree dogs by irresponsible owners. She identifies this behavior, along with the lack of a coordinated government strategy, as key drivers of Kosovo’s stray dog problem.

Dociqi criticizes municipalities for relocating strays to other areas rather than addressing the issue through sterilization, vaccination, and returning dogs to their original territories. She argues that only a unified, nationwide approach can resolve the crisis.

Additionally, she condemns the ease of acquiring pedigree dogs, which are often abandoned shortly after purchase.

Valbona Mustafa, a volunteer from Pristina, highlights the rise of social media platforms promoting the sale of popular dog breeds such as Sarplaninacs, Akitas, and Malinois—many of which eventually end up abandoned on the streets.

The energetic Malinois, requiring specialized training and care, is now a common sight roaming the streets of Pristina and Mitrovica, along with other demanding breeds like pit bulls.

Despite Kosovo’s Animal Welfare Law, pet stores continue to freely sell pedigree puppies, often without oversight or consequence. Mustafa notes that while animal protection organizations have filed numerous complaints, inspections and enforcement remain insufficient.

Comparing Kosovo to Norway, where her cousin had to complete a six-month training course and meet specific family requirements to adopt a dog, Mustafa emphasizes the need for stricter regulations.

“We don’t want stores here selling puppies for a birthday gift, only for them to be thrown out because they peed on a carpet,” she says.

Šapa volunteer Marijana Pantić-Nunan stresses that penalizing negligent dog owners is essential to addressing Kosovo’s stray dog problem. She notes that while authorities focus on sterilization and shelters for strays, little attention is given to holding owners accountable.

Fining owners who abandon or fail to chip their pets, as outlined in existing laws, could generate funds for sterilization and shelter programs while promoting responsible pet ownership. Pantić-Nunan argues that enforcement is key but questions whether anyone in Kosovo is actively monitoring compliance.

Addressing the Root of Kosovo’s Stray Dog Crisis

Šapa activist argues that Kosovo’s stray dog problem is largely a result of two factors: unsterilized dogs reproducing on the streets due to the lack of proper programs, and irresponsible owners who abandon their dogs and puppies.

She also stressed the need for a broader approach, including education and greater responsibility among pet owners.

Elza Ramadani, director of the Animal Rights Foundation, calls for a comprehensive government strategy and emphasizes that abandoned animals are not to blame for attacks on people—rather, it’s the irresponsible owners.

Challenges in Kosovo’s Stray Dog Strategy

Arbër Vokrri, Deputy Minister for Local Government, acknowledges that Kosovo’s first strategy to address the stray dog issue includes measures like sterilization, microchipping, and shelter construction. However, he highlights several challenges in its implementation, such as insufficient funding and lack of clarity on who will manage the allocated funds.

Vokrri also emphasizes the need for a centralized approach, as municipalities alone cannot address the problem effectively. With an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 stray dogs in Kosovo, and numbers expected to rise, he warns that without urgent action, drastic measures like mass poisoning could be the result.

Vucitrn Municipality’s Plan for Stray Dog Euthanasia Halted

The municipality of Vucitrn planned to euthanize 800 stray dogs, despite laws banning such actions, except in extreme cases of incurable illness or aggression. The Šapa volunteer group and the Deputy Mayor of North Mitrovica, Katarina Ađančić, confirmed the municipality’s intentions, noting that no scientific or expert evaluations were provided to justify the decision.

After Ađančić raised the issue with Kosovo’s presidential office, the plan was halted. Šapa supports humane methods, like the CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) approach, and offered assistance to Vucitrn for implementing these alternatives.

Volunteers as Advisors in Animal Welfare

Volunteers propose being integrated as advisors within local and central institutions, including municipalities, inspection services, and police, to address the lack of enforcement in animal welfare laws.

They emphasize their firsthand knowledge of local situations, such as identifying owners who abandon or breed dogs. Although they often report issues, they express frustration with the lack of action from authorities.

The volunteers are willing to help and collaborate with institutions, suggesting that their work would be more effective with official support.

Dogs Not The Problem, People Are

Sadri Sopi, activist based in the Netherlands, is tackling the stray dog problem in Kosovo. He believes the solution lies not in the animals themselves but in addressing human factors, such as local governments, the state, and unscrupulous organizations. Sopi criticizes the lack of government funding for animal welfare, citing the focus on administrative actions that hinder decision-making, and he calls out veterinarians prioritizing profit over animal care.

He also highlights Kosovo’s outdated „rabies status,“ which benefits profiteers and makes adoption expensive and bureaucratically difficult. To solve these issues, Sopi proposes a central animal welfare fund, large-scale sterilizations, improved shelters, mandatory microchipping, and free sterilization for pets to reduce abandonment.

Sopi urges cooperation with international organizations and proposes applying for EU funding to support animal welfare across the Balkan region. He also acknowledges StrayCoCo’s and Four Paws’ professional work in Kosovo but notes their reluctance to collaborate.

Divided Activism

Vokrri, head of the government task force on stray dogs, points to a lack of unity among animal rights activists as a significant obstacle in addressing the stray dog crisis. He argues that public pressure and citizen education are essential to prompt institutional action, and emphasizes the need for a clear budget for animal welfare.

Vokri perceives division among activists as a problem but stresses the importance of convincing the government to allocate specific funds for these issues.

However, activists, including Marijana Pantić-Nunan, deny this claim. She argues that despite differences in views, they work together seamlessly, sharing resources and knowledge. The issue, the activists believe, lies in a lack of coordination and unconscious blaming, where different approaches to the problem are seen as more important. They emphasize the need for a unified strategy, recognizing that the problem requires a multifaceted approach.

Volunteers also stress that animals do not discriminate based on nationality, religion, or other human divisions, and call for the government to support activists as a symbol of unity.

Evidence of cooperation was seen recently when activists from Mitrovica and Pristina, along with local and central authorities, met to collaborate on addressing the stray dog issue and plan joint actions.

Legal Framework for Animal Protection in Kosovo

Kosovo has several key legal and strategic frameworks addressing animal protection, including laws on animal welfare and veterinary care, but enforcement is lacking. Some of the most important laws include: The Animal Welfare Act and The Veterinary Law, which establish guidelines for animal care and protection.

Criminal Code of Kosovo, specifically Article 346, which addresses animal cruelty, including stricter penalties for inhumane treatment and illegal activities like euthanasia, sexual abuse, and other forms of exploitation.

Additionally, Kosovo has a Strategy for the Management and Control of Owned and Stray Dogs, the first of its kind.

This strategy aims to align measures addressing the root causes of the stray dog problem—such as abandonment, illegal breeding, and the control of owned pets—and to manage the current population of stray dogs. The strategy also seeks to coordinate the efforts of relevant institutions responsible for animal welfare.

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