July 1999

WSPA reports at least 50% of Kosovo's livestock and domestic animals have been killed

WSPA team treating surviving animals and providing emergency aid

A disaster relief team from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) estimates at least 50% of Kosovo's domestic animals have died in the recent conflict, with up to 80% having being killed in some districts.

WSPA estimates that there were approximately 150,000 dogs, 200,000 cattle and 500,000 sheep and goats in Kosovo before the conflict began.

"Huge numbers of animals left by fleeing refugees have died of starvation, whilst others have been injured or killed by gunfire or landmines," said Kylie Jones, Regional Manager, WSPA Australia and New Zealand.

Gerardo Huertas, WSPA Regional Director for Latin America, who lead the WSPA relief team in Kosovo, said, "The WSPA team has been dealing with the animal casualties of the conflict and providing emergency treatment to sick and injured animals. There is an urgent need for veterinary medicines in Kosovo to help treat the thousands of animals that are injured or suffering from disease."

During the past year of instability in the region, many veterinary clinics have run out of medicines and have been unable to buy more. WSPA has distributed just under one tonne of veterinary medicines to 14 veterinary stations across Kosovo. This emergency consignment will help rebuild the region veterinary infrastructure, allowing vets to get back into action and treat urgent cases over the next two months.

Many of Kosovo's surviving animals are suffering from disease or injuries and the WSPA team has seen cattle suffering from mastitis (a painful infection caused by being left unmilked) wandering aimlessly along roads and in open fields. In addition, there are hundreds of diseased or injured stray dogs roaming the streets of Pristina and Prisren, having problems ranging from eye infections, mange, open sores to broken bones and malnutrition.

"The current crisis in Kosovo has become a terrible tragedy for the people of the region and their animals. In situations like this, WSPA has a track record in working alongside humanitarian agencies to address the problems facing the livestock and pet animal populations," said Ms Jones.

The WSPA team has been working alongside colleagues from the Veterinary Ambulance Service in Skopje, Macedonia, and Kosovar veterinarians. The visit has been organised with the help of WSPA's member society the Macedonian Society for Animal Protection (SRNA).

WSPA will return to Kosovo in early August to address the stray dog problem in Prisren. Many abandoned pets have been left to scavenge and the objective will be to set up a shelter for the dogs and to rehome as many as possible. WSPA estimates that there may be as many as several hundred stray dogs in Prisren.

One of the world's largest animal protection charities, WSPA has consultative status at the United Nations and the Council of Europe and has a long tradition of providing emergency aid to animals affected by man-made or natural disasters. Previous examples of WSPA's disaster relief work include helping animals in the aftermath of the Gulf War and the conflicts in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

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Available on request:

• Colour transparencies.
• Interviews with the Publicity Co-ordinator, WSPA Australia & New Zealand.

Please contact:

Anne Lloyd-Jones, WSPA, on (02) 9901 5277 or 0404 066 498 during business hours, or e-mail annelj@wspa.org.au.