Prača Adoption Centre: First Two Phases of Works Nearing Completion, 220 Dogs Adopted in 2025

(Patria) - The Sarajevo Canton Government is investing 3.5 million KM in the construction of the new Prača Adoption Centre, which will operate as a "no kill" shelter and fully comply with standards of humane animal care.

Intensive works are underway, and the installation of roofs is planned for next week. Within the first two phases, three pavilions are being built, each containing 20 kennels.

Each kennel will be under video surveillance, and all segments of the project are being implemented in accordance with the Law on Animal Protection and Welfare.

Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk and Director of the Public Company "Veterinary Station" Nasiha Spahić visited the construction site of the Centre, which represents a key infrastructural step forward in the permanent and systemic resolution of the stray dog issue in Sarajevo Canton.

In the third phase, the equipping of the main building, the veterinary clinic that will operate within it, as well as the construction of two additional pavilions for housing dogs and exterior landscaping are planned.

One of the technically most demanding elements of the project in the second phase is the construction of a nine-metre-high retaining wall, which serves to stabilise the terrain and prevent potential landslides.

The Centre in Prača today has a completely different vision and purpose than before. Before the Sarajevo Canton took over management in 2018, the shelter was privately owned, and the condition found required urgent and thorough intervention.

After the takeover, a complete remediation of the site was carried out, along with the development of a conceptual and main design. By the end of 2023, dilapidated buildings were removed and the construction of a new, modern and humane shelter was initiated.



Currently, there are about 50 dogs in temporary accommodation at the shelter, and data confirm significant progress in the area of adoption. In 2025 alone, 220 dogs found homes, demonstrating that a systemic approach and continuous investment yield concrete and measurable results.

Uk emphasised that this project sends a clear message about the responsibility of institutions towards the community and animals.

- By building the Adoption Centre in Prača, we are closing a chapter of disarray and opening a new chapter of a responsible, humane and transparent system. Sarajevo Canton has decided that the stray dog problem will no longer be left to chance.

We are investing 3.5 million convertible marks to establish a standard that will serve as an example to others, a standard in which citizen safety, animal welfare and institutional responsibility are equally important.

Prača is becoming a place of new beginnings, but also proof that the Sarajevo Canton Government has the capacity and political will to solve long-standing problems systemically and permanently - Uk stated.

Director Spahić pointed out that this investment is part of a broader transformation of the company.

- We are aware that the Public Company Veterinary Station Sarajevo had a damaged reputation at one point. Today, we are working on the essential modernisation and professionalisation of our work.

Our goal is to be an innovative leader in the field of veterinary health care, to provide dog owners and owners of other small animals with the highest standard of service and to show that we have the professional staff capable of ensuring adequate care and treatment - Spahić stated.

With the construction of the new Centre in Prača, Sarajevo Canton is establishing a sustainable, supervised and humane system of care for stray animals, aligned with modern practices and community needs.