Dog safety

Published in About Animals

Lost or abandoned? It's all too easy for a dog to get lost, often much harder to find it.

Puppe the wanderer reunited with Paula. Puppe the wanderer reunited with Paula. Photo: Vivian Grisogono

Croatia may be overburdened with far too many laws. Some of them could be ditched amid sighs of relief or even cheers. Two spring to mind very quickly. One: car windows must be shut when the car is empty. Shouldn't the owner be allowed to choose whether to let some air in when the sun is baking, even at the risk of thieves taking advantage? It's surely a personal risk that doesn't require State intervention. Two: dogs are not allowed in cafes and restaurants, even in outside areas. Why can't the cafe or restaurant owner decide whether animals are allowed in public areas which don't threaten hygienic service? The 'logic' that a dog hair might get into someone's coffee is too silly - it must surely be easier for human hair to fall down into a cup than for dog hair to jump up to it?

Old-style vaccination label. Photo; Vivian Grisogono

Yet, without wishing to add extra burdens to the legislation, we feel there is - perhaps - a law missing. Dog owners are not obliged to provide their pets with collars or identifying tags. In the United Kingdom, by law a dog must have a collar with a label giving the name of the owner and a contact telephone number. The dog's name should not be included, on the grounds that knowing the dog's name would make it easier for a thief to befriend and abduct it. In Croatia, not so long ago, dogs carried a special tag showing they were vaccinated, which was at least a sign that they belonged to responsible owners. Now, dogs have to be micro-chipped. It is a good system which provides a source of information on dogs and owners nationwide. The downside is that to identify an owner the chip has to be read by a veterinarian. On Hvar, the only veterinary surgery is on the outskirts of Stari Grad, on the road leading towards Rudine.

Puppe, found wandering, reunited with owner Paula after the vet read his micro-chip. Photo: Vivian Grisogono

What if your dog goes missing?

In the early summer of 2016 there have been several cases of dogs going missing from their owners. In two instances, the lost dogs had no collars. This complicates the situation. It creates the impression that the dog might have been abandoned by its owner - something which, sadly, is done at times, whether by local people or visitors to the island. A collar-less dog is harder for someone to take in hand, whether to remove the dog from dangerous situations or to take it to the veterinarian to see if it is micro-chipped.

Collar and tag: vital safeguards. Photo: Vivian Grisogono

When a dog is newly arrived on the island for a holiday with its owners, there is of course little chance of it finding its way back to them when it has wandered far enough away. Once the dog is lost, the owner should put out an appeal flyer with pictures and a contact phone number, so that anyone who sees the dog can let them know where it is. There are public notice boards in Hvar's towns and villages, and the local tourist boards will also willingly post such flyers on their boards. Some hotel, cafe and restaurant owners and workers are animal lovers who will take the trouble to publicize details of the missing pet. Of course, the veterinary surgery should be notified and given a flyer.

What if you find a lost dog?

If you are worried about a dog which is roaming around, there are several factors to bear in mind. If the dog looks well fed, it probably has an owner, especially if it has a collar. If it is skin and bones, and has no collar, it probably doesn't. If it is a hunting dog and is out barking in the fields or woodlands, it may have been let out by its owner and got lost or distracted after a training run. Local dogs who have good homes generally find their way home after a while. It is often worth asking local people if they know anything about the roaming dog. Sometimes you will get a reassuring answer.

If you are seriously worried, you can contact the local veterinarian. Many people contact Eco Hvar, and we do our best to help. There is a law against allowing dogs to roam freely in towns and villages, but there is no regular system for rounding up strays on the island. If you can take the dog to the vet to check for a micro-chip, so much the better. However, if it has no micro-chip, the question arises as to what happens next, as the vets are not registered for taking in strays.

Abandoned dogs

Every year, dogs are abandoned on Hvar, big or small, puppies or adults, hunting dogs or (former) pets. On an individual basis, I have saved as many dogs as I could, and have mourned many more which I coukldn't help. In the absence of an official system for dealing humanely and efficiently with stray animals, I have become the 'go-to' person when people want to help these poor creatures, while sometimes those who want to dump a dog or cat leave them 'conveniently' near my home. The Town Warden came to inspect my dogs a few years ago, summoned by a dog-hating neighbour. Having found everything in order according to the relevant laws, he called me a week or two later to ask me to take in a stray which was wandering around Jelsa. Similarly, the local vets have been known to direct stray dogs in my direction. Eco Hvar was formed to try to provide a solution to the problem.

Dr. Filipović with rescue puppy Lina,May 2016. Photo: Vivian Grisogono

The situation has been much improved with the opening of the No-Kill Animal Shelter 'Animalis Centrum in Kaštel Sučurac just outside Split, founded and run by veterinarian Dr. Zdenka Filipović. Now, we have established a working system through which dogs abandoned on Hvar can be cared for here until there is space in the Kaštela Shelter. From the Shelter, they have a good chance of finding homes on the mainland or abroad, especially in Germany, thanks to an excellent working relationship with some German animal welfare charities. When the dogs are homed, photographs are sent to the Shelter showing their new conditions.

Lina, originally from Vrbanj on Hvar, finds love in her new home in Germany, June 2016

Finances

Caring for unwanted animals costs money, for food, micro-chipping, inoculations, sterilizations, anti-parasitic treatments and any incidental medical expenses. Both Eco Hvar and Animalis Centrum depend primarily on donations. Our two voluntary organizations are now working very closely together to create more capacity for helping unwanted animals in our region. Contributions are warmly welcomed!

© Vivian Grisogono 2016

Veterinary Surgery Stari Grad: telephone 00 385 (0) 21 244 337 (2024)

Veterinary Surgery Hvar Town. telephone  + 385 (0)21 880 022 (2024)

Zaklada za Zaštitu Životinja (Animal Protection Foundation, umbrella non-profit organization for the Animalis Centrum Shelter),
OIB 05786330179.
Details for donations:
Via the bank:
Zaklada Bestie Kukuljevićeva 1, 21000 Split
Otp banka IBAN: HR9324070001100371229
SWIFT: OTPVHR2X
 
Eco Hvar, OIB 14009858487 
Details for donations:
Privredna Banka Zagreb, 
IBAN: HR37 2340 0091 1106 0678 6; SWIFT CODE: PBZGHR2X
Account name: ECO HVAR
Address of account holder: Pitve 93, 21465 Jelsa, Croatia
 
Note: For more information about helping dogs in need, please see our article: Dogs, How to Help When Needed.

2024, A SPECIAL PLEA: SUPPORT THE BESTIE FOUNDATION FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION

Twelve good reasons for helping the Bestie Foundation.

PLEASE DONATE!

Details for donations:

Via the bank:
Zaklada Bestie
Kukuljevićeva 1, 21000 Split
Otp banka
IBAN: HR9324070001100371229
SWIFT: OTPVHR2X

Paypal donate button: https://www.paypal.me/ZakladaBestie

You are here: Home about animals Dog safety

Eco Environment News feeds

  • Banks, asset managers and industry groups move to accommodate US president’s anti-net zero stance

    The second Trump administration is expected to strike a blow to efforts to align the global financial sector with the path to net zero, with banks, asset managers and industry groups already moving to accommodate the incoming president’s avowed policy of “drill, baby, drill”.

    As authorities declared 2024 the hottest on record, atmospheric carbon dioxide leapt by a record amount and fires ravaged Los Angeles, a key private sector climate alliance, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) abandoned a requirement that members be aligned to the Paris agreement.

    Continue reading...

  • Even average use of nitrogen fertilisers cut flower numbers fivefold and halved pollinating insects

    Using high levels of common fertilisers on grassland halves pollinator numbers and drastically reduces the number of flowers, research from the world’s longest-running ecological experiment has found.

    Increasing the amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus doused on agricultural grassland reduced flower numbers fivefold and halved the number of pollinating insects, according to the paper by the University of Sussex and Rothamsted Research.

    Continue reading...

  • Pod Point reports weak demand for new cars as government says no firms will pay fines over ZEV mandate

    A charging company has said proposed UK changes to electric car sales rules could increase uncertainty over demand, as it said that it had been caught out by lower numbers of purchases by British drivers.

    Pod Point, which is majority-owned by EDF Energy, said weak demand for new cars meant it made revenues of £53m in 2024 from its sales of chargers and services, compared with a £60m target. The London-listed company’s share price slumped by more than a third on Monday morning.

    Continue reading...

  • These ibises have a special skill called ‘remote touch’, which they use to find their worm, grub and snail prey through vibrations

    Hadedas are iridescent grey-brown ibises – jack russell-sized birds with long, curved bills and very small heads – found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

    They have a special skill called “remote touch”, which they use to find their worm, grub and snail prey. At the tip of their bills is an organ that, when they stick it into the soil, can sense the vibrations of their foodnearby.

    Continue reading...

  • String jellyfish species that has killed millions of salmon in Norwegian sea farms reported in Scotland

    A jellyfish species that has been wreaking havoc on Norway’s salmon industry has made its way to Scotland, causing significant damage and prompting calls for urgent action.

    The string jellyfish has killed millions of salmon in Norwegian sea farms with officials urging an extermination of affected stocks.

    Continue reading...

  • One in six Welsh species threatened with extinction but report says Welsh government lacks ‘action and investment’

    The Welsh government is failing to halt the “alarming” decline in nature, putting iconic species at risk, a report has concluded.

    Labour ministers were accused of overseeing “delays, undelivered commitments and missed deadlines” by the Senedd’s cross-party climate change, environment and infrastructure committee.

    Continue reading...

  • Altadena’s Village Playgarden education center served diverse families with outdoor classrooms, small farm and animals – till it was destroyed by flames

    In Altadena, it had become the hot ticket among the preschool set.

    But when Geoff and Kikanza Ramsey-Ray first bought the two-acre property at the edge of town in 2008, it was a shambles. The home was a rental for over 30 years and the grounds were woefully neglected. Yet the couple saw promise. Nestled against Angeles Crest national forest, with a mountain view and on a road with few other homes, the place felt protected and perfect for their vision: an early education center called Village Playgarden.

    Continue reading...

  • Bubbles of air trapped in ancient Antarctic ice, dating up to 2m years old, contain unknown information about Earth’s past climate

    Traversing the world’s most unforgiving continent requires a generous measure of stoicism. “We took risks, we knew we took them,” wrote the Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott in 1912, trapped by a fierce blizzard in the days before he died, on an ill-fated expedition to reach the south pole. “Things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint.”

    More than a century later, elemental extremes are still an unfortunate fact of life for scientists in Antarctica. Despite three seasons of bad luck which have delayed his team’s quest to find the world’s oldest ice, the paleoclimate scientist Dr Joel Pedro remains sanguine. He has good reason to be: this summer, after multiple setbacks and a relocation, a plan years in the making is finally coming to fruition.

    Continue reading...

  • Volunteers who leave water in the desert describe rising fears of vigilantes and climate peril

    It was a blustery day in the Sonoran desert as a group of humanitarian aid volunteers hiked through a vast dusty canyon to leave gallons of bottled water and canned beans in locations where exhausted migrants could find them.

    Empty plastic bottles, rusty cans and footprints heading north were among the signs of human activity strewn between the towering saguaro and senita cacti, in an isolated section of the Organ Pipe Cactus national monument – about 20 miles (32km) north of the US-Mexico border.

    Continue reading...

  • Angelenos returning to homes in burned areas could be exposed to toxic materials and mudslides

    The wildfires raging across the Los Angeles landscape have destroyed many thousands of homes and buildings and damaged hundreds more.

    And each property, experts warn, could pose a risk to Angelenos even long after the flames are extinguished.

    Continue reading...

Eco Health News feeds

Eco Nature News feeds