Dr. Fejzić: Dangerous dogs must be euthanized, BiH law also provides for this

Nihad Fejzić, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Sarajevo, warned that all dogs that are dangerous to citizens, and especially those dogs that have already attacked and bitten, must be urgently euthanized, writes the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

According to data from the Sarajevo Canton Emergency Medical Aid Institute, in the first eight months of 2014 alone, as many as 678 people sought emergency medical aid due to dog bites, which is 95 more bites than in the same period last year.

The responsibility for such a catastrophic situation lies with municipalities, cantons, entities, but also with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, headed by Minister Boris Tučić. This ministry is responsible for the implementation of the Law on Protection and Welfare of Animals of BiH, which was adopted in our country in 2009.

- Dogs that pose a danger to citizens must be removed from the streets, meaning they must be euthanized – said Dr. Fejzić.

- This is not just my opinion as an expert, but something that the Law on Protection and Welfare of Animals of Bosnia and Herzegovina also provides for – he adds.

The Law on Protection and Welfare of Animals of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in paragraph "d" of Article 14, provides that euthanasia may be performed on an animal that is dangerous to its surroundings.

- Competent institutions must sit down and find a way to remove dangerous dogs from the streets. The legal basis exists, now only the goodwill of those responsible for this issue is needed – said Fejzić, writes NAP.