Reasons for relinquishment of owned dogs in a municipal shelter in Belgrade

Abstract

It seems that the dog overpopulation in Belgrade is similar to that of many other cities in the world. However, Belgrade does not have problems with inhumane stray dogs' population control methods, nor with their malnutrition, nor with inadequate veterinary care. Moreover, Belgrade has a problem with irresponsible and uneducated dog owners, stray and abandoned dogs on the streets and many unlicensed private animal shelters. The next problem is the existence of only one municipal shelter for abandoned, relinquished pets and stray dogs and cats in Belgrade. The first aim of the study was to estimate the total number and the ratio of dogs that were relinquished to the municipal shelter for adoption and for euthanasia in the period from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2007. The second aim of the study was to estimate the main reasons for relinquishment of owned dogs for adoption and reasons for euthanasia in the municipal shelter in Belgrade. The most owned dogs were relinquished for euthanasia (N=1005; 86.563%). Only 156 dogs (13.437%) were relinquished for adoption. Therefore, the number of relinquished dogs for euthanasia was significantly higher than the number of relinquished dogs for adoption (P lt 0.001). Financial problems were the most frequently given reasons for relinquishment of dogs to the municipal shelter for adoption (26.92%). The leading cause of relinquishment of dogs to the municipal shelter for euthanasia was incurable illness of aged dogs (25.77%).

Grad Beograd ima slične probleme sa velikim brojem pasa kao i svi ostali gradovi u svetu. Međutim, Beograd nema problem sa nehumanim načinom kontrole brojnosti pasa lutalica, niti sa njihovim stanjem uhranjenosti, niti sa neodgovarajućim i nestručnim veterinarskim tretmanom pasa poznatih vlasnika i pasa lutalica. Suprotno svemu navedenom, Beograd ima problem sa neodgovornim i needukovanim vlasnicima pasa, velikim brojem pasa bez vlasnika na javnim površinama kao i velikim brojem neregistrovanih privatnih prihvatilišta za pse. Sledeći problem je postojanje samo jednog javnog gradskog prihvatilišta koji zbrinjava napuštene, otuđene pse i pse i mačke lutalice. Prvi cilj ovih istraživanja bio je utvrđivanje ukupnog broja i odnosa pasa poznatih vlasnika koje su vlasnici napustili i predali prihvatilištu radi zbrinjavanja ili eutanazije i to u periodu od 1. januara 2004. do 31. decembra 2007. godine. Drugi cilj ovog rada je bio utvrđivanje osnovnih razloga za otuđivanje pasa poznatih vlasnika i njihovu predaju gradskom prihvatilištu na dalje zbrinjavanje ili eutanaziju. Najveći broj pasa poznatih vlasnika je predat gradskom prihvatilištu radi eutanazije (N=1005; 86,563%). Samo 156 pasa (13,437%) je predato gradskom prihvatilištu radi daljeg zbrinjavanja. Upravo zato je broj pasa predatih prihvatilištu radi eutanazije bio značajno veći nego broj pasa predatih radi daljeg zbrinjavanja (P lt 0,001). Najčešći razlog koji su navodili vlasnici pasa predatih prihvatilištu radi daljeg zbrinjavanja bili su finansijski problemi (26,92%). Glavni uzrok napuštanja i predaje pasa gradskom prihvatilištu radi eutanazije bile su neizlečive bolesti starih pasa (25,77%).