Society and animal welfare - Poland
Animal welfare in Poland is regulated by the Animal Protection Act 1997 (with some later amendments). Unfortunately, in its present form the Act is outdated and out of step with reality. A number of its regulations are vague in their wording, allowing too much latitude in interpretation. To exacerbate the situation, there is a lack of awareness of the issues involved among representatives of law enforcement and judicial authorities, the courts are slow to enforce the law, and crimes against animals are generally seen as acts that cause little harm to society.
A dynamically developing market of puppy farms also contributes to the huge overpopulation of dogs and cats in Poland. Shortage of shelters makes the situation even worse; those that do exist are underfunded and their facilities are antiquated. In the existing shelters mistreatment of animals is the norm rather than the exception - not enough space to express natural behaviors, lack of veterinary care, overcrowding which leads to fatal attacks, and even starvation and physical abuse. The management and staff are often hired haphazardly, or they treat the shelter like a business and expect it to generate revenue. All this is detrimental to the animals' well-being. The veterinary inspectorate's supposed supervision is, in most cases, illusory. One should also mention failure to sterilize, unwillingness to use microchips, and neglecting to keep proper records, required by law. All this creates chaos - and as a result Polish shelters, instead of creating a safe haven for homeless animals, BECOME PLACES OF SUFFERING, AND SOMETIMES DEATH AS WELL.
In its efforts to improve the animals' quality of life, the Emir Foundation has been, for many years, conducting a number of campaigns, including:
- "Stop cruelty in the shelters"
- "Stop the puppy farms"
- "Attention! Freezing weather!" (launched last winter), whose aim was to protect shelter animals from severe frosts.
- "Stop the death traps" - aimed against private “shelters” of doubtful legality where homeless dogs and cats are being collected.
- "Save the dogs from the flood" (2010) - 8 dogs were saved from the flooded areas around Gorzyce and Sandomierz.
- An educational programme about humane treatment of animals, duties resulting from animal ownership, and animal rights in Poland and the world, which has been running for many years all over the country. This project is aimed at youngsters from all levels of education.
What needs to be done:
1. Changing the current Protection of Animals Act (the Foundation is working side by side with Polish MPs for the purpose of introducing amendments to the Act).
2. Changing the mentality of the Polish society, to ensure that animals are no longer objectified (a long-drawn-out process, which requires a special focus on the education of the younger generations).
3. Raising awareness of the relevant issues among representatives of Polish law enforcement and the judicial authorities.
4. Increasing the expenditure on protection of homeless animals by local government bodies - which includes financing the creation of new shelters from local budgets.
All the activities of the Foundation are directed towards the realization of the aforementioned goals. Only their attainment (which, unfortunately, can only happen over time) can guarantee that the lot of all animals in Poland, including the homeless ones, will begin to improve.
Homeless animals safe in a shelter?
The welfare of homeless animals housed in animal shelters is yet another issue.
In the current legislation there is no definition of a "shelter" as such; the regulations also fail to set out in precise terms the aims of such a facility, the means of its financing and living standards for the animals that are to be kept there.
Legally, the running of a shelter for homeless animals is a so-called "supervised activity", as defined in administrative law.
The scope of this supervision and control, as well as veterinary requirements for operating a shelter have been set out in the following acts and regulations:
- Ustawa o ochronie zwierz?t (Animal Protection Act 1997)
Dz.U 1997 Nr 111 poz 724 z pó?n. zm. (Journal of Laws 1997 no 111 item 724, with subsequent amendments)
- Ustawa „ o ochronie zdrowia zwierz?t i zwalczaniu chorób zaka?nych z dn.11.03.2004 (Animal Health Protection and Infectious Diseases Control Act 2004)
Dz.U 2004 Nr 69 poz 724 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 69 item 724, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozp.Min.Roln. i Rozwoju Wsi z 23.VI.2004 r. „w sprawie szczegó?owych wymaga? weterynaryjnych dla prowadzenia schronisk dla zwierz?t” (Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 23 June 2004 "regarding detailed veterinary requirements for the running of animal shelters")
Dz.U z 2004 Nr 158 poz.1657 z pó?n. zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 158 item 1657, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozp.Min.Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi z dn.28.04.2004 „ w sprawie zakresu i sposobu prowadzenie ewidencji leczenia zwierz?t i dokumentacji lekarsko-weterynaryjnej” (Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 28 April 2004 "regarding the scope and methods of keeping records of treatments for animals and other medical and veterinary documentation")
Dz.U 2004 Nr 100 poz. 1022 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 100 item 1022, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozporz?dzenia Min. Spraw Wewn. i Admin. z dnia 26.VIII. 1998 r. „ w sprawie zasad i warunków wy?apywania bezdomnych zwierz?t” (Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of 26 August 1998 "regarding the rules and conditions for catching stray animals")
Dz.U.1998 Nr 116 poz.753 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 1998 no 116 item 753, with subsequent amendments)
Over the years many reservations have been voiced with regard to the manner in which this supervision is being conducted, the means by which the veterinary authorities exercise control, as well as their professionalism and reliability. These concerns are often confirmed during court cases involving violations of the Animal Protection Act, which reveal the mistreatment of shelter animals, consisting not only in physical abuse, but also starvation, overcrowding, denial of veterinary care, appalling squalor, and subjecting them to unnecessary suffering caused by cold and constant stress. And all this happened in shelters where - according to the supervisory authorities - the animals were being provided with acceptable living conditions and proper care.
According to the data published by the Veterinary inspection there are around 140 registered animal shelters in Poland, that is, one for every 18 districts, on the average. This official figure by no means reflects reality, because there exists - and prospers - twice the number of "shelters" of doubtful legality, which should more appropriately be named "death traps", "death camps" or "killing grounds". They are maintained solely for profit by legal entities that are contractors to the local authorities. Free from any control whatsoever, they are characterized by high mortality rates, which are achieved - deliberately and cynically - in order to make room for next victims; as a result the "entrepreneurs" have more space, so that they can take in more animals, and thus receive more money from public funds. After all, the animals themselves - which die there by the hundreds, if not by the thousands - can tell no tales.
To care for the animals - or to get rid of a problem?
Out of the 2,5 thousand districts of Poland (the gminas) only 61 % have attended in any way to the problem of homeless animals. Only 25 % of all the district councils have passed the legally required resolution. However, their interest in the animals' fate does not go beyond providing the money required to "get rid of the problem" - that is, to catch the strays. Practically none of the districts maintain any records that would show the fate of individual animals that have been disposed of in the course of fulfilling their legal obligation to "provide care". The animals are caught, transported to an often unidentified place, and then disappear into thin air.
It is by no means rare that an animal does not even make it alive to the death trap that is its final destination - it is killed on the way, or simply "perishes during transport". The districts authorities will only enter in their books the cost of its removal, as stated in the contracts they have with various legal entities. (These contracts, for that matter, are usually in violation of current legislation, as far as their form as well as the choice of contractor are concerned.)
Every year the Polish districts rid themselves of about one hundred thousand homeless dogs, and about a dozen thousand cats. This number is growing alarmingly with every passing year!
Faced with huge overpopulation of dogs and cats, and with nowhere to house them, the local authorities (with very few exceptions) are ignoring the obvious solution - that is, the building of modern shelters worthy of the name, to be financed from the local budgets (or perhaps the budgets of a few neighboring districts which would agree to co-finance the facility and make use of it jointly). The long-term costs of maintaining such a shelter would have been lower than the amounts currently being spent on going through the motions of "providing care for homeless animals". It could then be operated on a non-profit basis, not as a business enterprise (which by definition must generate revenue).
The district authorities also fail to prepare - and therefore never put into operation - any programs aimed at curbing the uncontrolled breeding of pet animals (use of microchips, neutering, educating the public etc.). Thus they exacerbate the homelessness problem and generate the yearly increasing costs of "caring" for the strays, which burden the local budgets.
On top of all that there is a lack of necessary knowledge and awareness of the current legislation among the officials on the district level, as well as the 19th century mentality that we inherit from our ancestors.
At the moment the government administration has no statistics, research results or studies of its own regarding the pet animal market and the problem of homeless animals in Poland.
A dynamically developing market of puppy farms also contributes to the huge overpopulation of dogs and cats in Poland. Shortage of shelters makes the situation even worse; those that do exist are underfunded and their facilities are antiquated. In the existing shelters mistreatment of animals is the norm rather than the exception - not enough space to express natural behaviors, lack of veterinary care, overcrowding which leads to fatal attacks, and even starvation and physical abuse. The management and staff are often hired haphazardly, or they treat the shelter like a business and expect it to generate revenue. All this is detrimental to the animals' well-being. The veterinary inspectorate's supposed supervision is, in most cases, illusory. One should also mention failure to sterilize, unwillingness to use microchips, and neglecting to keep proper records, required by law. All this creates chaos - and as a result Polish shelters, instead of creating a safe haven for homeless animals, BECOME PLACES OF SUFFERING, AND SOMETIMES DEATH AS WELL.
In its efforts to improve the animals' quality of life, the Emir Foundation has been, for many years, conducting a number of campaigns, including:
- "Stop cruelty in the shelters"
- "Stop the puppy farms"
- "Attention! Freezing weather!" (launched last winter), whose aim was to protect shelter animals from severe frosts.
- "Stop the death traps" - aimed against private “shelters” of doubtful legality where homeless dogs and cats are being collected.
- "Save the dogs from the flood" (2010) - 8 dogs were saved from the flooded areas around Gorzyce and Sandomierz.
- An educational programme about humane treatment of animals, duties resulting from animal ownership, and animal rights in Poland and the world, which has been running for many years all over the country. This project is aimed at youngsters from all levels of education.
What needs to be done:
1. Changing the current Protection of Animals Act (the Foundation is working side by side with Polish MPs for the purpose of introducing amendments to the Act).
2. Changing the mentality of the Polish society, to ensure that animals are no longer objectified (a long-drawn-out process, which requires a special focus on the education of the younger generations).
3. Raising awareness of the relevant issues among representatives of Polish law enforcement and the judicial authorities.
4. Increasing the expenditure on protection of homeless animals by local government bodies - which includes financing the creation of new shelters from local budgets.
All the activities of the Foundation are directed towards the realization of the aforementioned goals. Only their attainment (which, unfortunately, can only happen over time) can guarantee that the lot of all animals in Poland, including the homeless ones, will begin to improve.
Homeless animals safe in a shelter?
The welfare of homeless animals housed in animal shelters is yet another issue.
In the current legislation there is no definition of a "shelter" as such; the regulations also fail to set out in precise terms the aims of such a facility, the means of its financing and living standards for the animals that are to be kept there.
Legally, the running of a shelter for homeless animals is a so-called "supervised activity", as defined in administrative law.
The scope of this supervision and control, as well as veterinary requirements for operating a shelter have been set out in the following acts and regulations:
- Ustawa o ochronie zwierz?t (Animal Protection Act 1997)
Dz.U 1997 Nr 111 poz 724 z pó?n. zm. (Journal of Laws 1997 no 111 item 724, with subsequent amendments)
- Ustawa „ o ochronie zdrowia zwierz?t i zwalczaniu chorób zaka?nych z dn.11.03.2004 (Animal Health Protection and Infectious Diseases Control Act 2004)
Dz.U 2004 Nr 69 poz 724 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 69 item 724, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozp.Min.Roln. i Rozwoju Wsi z 23.VI.2004 r. „w sprawie szczegó?owych wymaga? weterynaryjnych dla prowadzenia schronisk dla zwierz?t” (Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 23 June 2004 "regarding detailed veterinary requirements for the running of animal shelters")
Dz.U z 2004 Nr 158 poz.1657 z pó?n. zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 158 item 1657, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozp.Min.Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi z dn.28.04.2004 „ w sprawie zakresu i sposobu prowadzenie ewidencji leczenia zwierz?t i dokumentacji lekarsko-weterynaryjnej” (Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 28 April 2004 "regarding the scope and methods of keeping records of treatments for animals and other medical and veterinary documentation")
Dz.U 2004 Nr 100 poz. 1022 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 2004 no 100 item 1022, with subsequent amendments)
- Rozporz?dzenia Min. Spraw Wewn. i Admin. z dnia 26.VIII. 1998 r. „ w sprawie zasad i warunków wy?apywania bezdomnych zwierz?t” (Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of 26 August 1998 "regarding the rules and conditions for catching stray animals")
Dz.U.1998 Nr 116 poz.753 z pó?n.zm. (Journal of Laws 1998 no 116 item 753, with subsequent amendments)
Over the years many reservations have been voiced with regard to the manner in which this supervision is being conducted, the means by which the veterinary authorities exercise control, as well as their professionalism and reliability. These concerns are often confirmed during court cases involving violations of the Animal Protection Act, which reveal the mistreatment of shelter animals, consisting not only in physical abuse, but also starvation, overcrowding, denial of veterinary care, appalling squalor, and subjecting them to unnecessary suffering caused by cold and constant stress. And all this happened in shelters where - according to the supervisory authorities - the animals were being provided with acceptable living conditions and proper care.
According to the data published by the Veterinary inspection there are around 140 registered animal shelters in Poland, that is, one for every 18 districts, on the average. This official figure by no means reflects reality, because there exists - and prospers - twice the number of "shelters" of doubtful legality, which should more appropriately be named "death traps", "death camps" or "killing grounds". They are maintained solely for profit by legal entities that are contractors to the local authorities. Free from any control whatsoever, they are characterized by high mortality rates, which are achieved - deliberately and cynically - in order to make room for next victims; as a result the "entrepreneurs" have more space, so that they can take in more animals, and thus receive more money from public funds. After all, the animals themselves - which die there by the hundreds, if not by the thousands - can tell no tales.
To care for the animals - or to get rid of a problem?
Out of the 2,5 thousand districts of Poland (the gminas) only 61 % have attended in any way to the problem of homeless animals. Only 25 % of all the district councils have passed the legally required resolution. However, their interest in the animals' fate does not go beyond providing the money required to "get rid of the problem" - that is, to catch the strays. Practically none of the districts maintain any records that would show the fate of individual animals that have been disposed of in the course of fulfilling their legal obligation to "provide care". The animals are caught, transported to an often unidentified place, and then disappear into thin air.
It is by no means rare that an animal does not even make it alive to the death trap that is its final destination - it is killed on the way, or simply "perishes during transport". The districts authorities will only enter in their books the cost of its removal, as stated in the contracts they have with various legal entities. (These contracts, for that matter, are usually in violation of current legislation, as far as their form as well as the choice of contractor are concerned.)
Every year the Polish districts rid themselves of about one hundred thousand homeless dogs, and about a dozen thousand cats. This number is growing alarmingly with every passing year!
Faced with huge overpopulation of dogs and cats, and with nowhere to house them, the local authorities (with very few exceptions) are ignoring the obvious solution - that is, the building of modern shelters worthy of the name, to be financed from the local budgets (or perhaps the budgets of a few neighboring districts which would agree to co-finance the facility and make use of it jointly). The long-term costs of maintaining such a shelter would have been lower than the amounts currently being spent on going through the motions of "providing care for homeless animals". It could then be operated on a non-profit basis, not as a business enterprise (which by definition must generate revenue).
The district authorities also fail to prepare - and therefore never put into operation - any programs aimed at curbing the uncontrolled breeding of pet animals (use of microchips, neutering, educating the public etc.). Thus they exacerbate the homelessness problem and generate the yearly increasing costs of "caring" for the strays, which burden the local budgets.
On top of all that there is a lack of necessary knowledge and awareness of the current legislation among the officials on the district level, as well as the 19th century mentality that we inherit from our ancestors.
At the moment the government administration has no statistics, research results or studies of its own regarding the pet animal market and the problem of homeless animals in Poland.