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HOW MUCH DID LAST YEAR’S ATTACKS OF STRAY DOGS COST?

8. February 2016.

Bujuanovac – In 160 municipalities and cities in Serbia, a total of 8.2 million euros was paid in compensation to the citizens who sued because of the bites of stray dogs in 2015, which is an average of about six million dinars per local self-government, "said Miodrag Milkovic, the Director of the Veterinary Station in Bujanovac and an independent councilor in the municipality of Bujanovac.

Mr. Milkovic said at the session of the Municipal Assembly said that the local self-government had paid in the previous year various sums of money from the budget due to the bites of stray dogs.

According to him, these sums ranged from one million dinars, which the municipality of Bujanovac paid for that purpose last year, to 70 million dinars that Nis had to pay out of its budget because of the citizens’ proceedings involving legal claims.

“Serbia adopted a law on animal welfare, which is after the European model, but there are no financial resources for its implementation.  It is impossible to determine the exact number of stray dogs in Bujanovac, since abandoned dogs are transported from Kraljevo, Krusevac, Nis and Vranje to Bujanovac, which was proved when a truck full of stray dogs was caught on the spot, "said Mr. Milkovic. 

When asked by the councilors whether it was possible to reduce the budgetary expenditures caused by the lawsuits related to the bites of stray dogs. Mr. Milkovic said that the Veterinary Station in Bujanovac, with which the local self- government had signed a contract, monthly sterilized, vaccinated and placed chips on 40 stray dogs, which were then returned to their whereabouts.

He also said that that was the only way to reduce their number.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency, “Beta” news agency and Coordination Body