11/07/2024
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a tourist from Poland, and I am appalled by the condition of most homeless animals here. Many are extremely dehydrated and hungry. I spent a week of my vacation rescuing one cat, getting her sterilized, and trying to find her a home in Croatia. Unfortunately, she ran away and returned to the streets.
These poor animals deserve to live in decent conditions. Take Istanbul as an example: they have special water dispensers and feeding stations. Volunteers feed the animals and collect food and supplies, caring for them during the winter. There are isolated shelters for non-adoptable animals. Older cats are sterilized and released to known habitats or adopted into homes with gardens. Young, healthy kittens are sterilized and put up for adoption. There is education for children and teenagers. Tourists feed animals in designated places, and there is information for tourists about adoption! In Germany and Great Britain, there are almost no street cats, and tourists willingly adopt them, but how can they know about such possibilities and needs in our country?
I kindly ask everyone to raise awareness about this issue, share information, and look out for any animal in need of water or food. Among the cats, there are those that do not eat and just watch because they cannot fight for their share. You will easily spot these animals on the streets; you can approach them and give them water, some food, or an inexpensive sachet from the Studenac store.
Perhaps, together with friends and acquaintances, we can find a few willing people to help. Not a day goes by that I don't write to restaurants, municipalities, influencers, and foundations. I created a group where we can meet—temporarily, because it is grassroots work—but sometimes it is enough to show that the issue is important to increase the reach of the message and reach the authorities who do not respond.
I deeply believe that the situation can change. We must try if we can save even one life.
