Podgorica, (MINA) – A dialogue on improving animal welfare and addressing challenges related to the population of stray dogs in Montenegro was launched on Tuesday at the Europe House in Podgorica, as part of the national environmental campaign “Čuvaj da te čuva”.

The Europe House announced that the meeting brought together representatives of competent institutions, local governments, professional community, the civil sector and international partners, with the aim of exchanging views and exploring possible solutions for more efficient and sustainable management of this issue.

According to the press release, EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Johann Sattler, spoke about animal welfare as one of the European values, as well as the EU’s support for local efforts to solve this issue.

He pointed out that improving animal welfare is not only an animal issue but also a human issue.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Vladimir Jokovic, said that the problem of stray dogs in Montenegro has long been not only a matter of animal welfare, but also an issue of public safety, burden on local budgets, and a factor affecting tourism and the overall image of the country.

It was also noted that, in the context of the EU accession process, Montenegro faces concrete and binding changes in the field of animal welfare.

“The EU is in the final phase of adopting comprehensive regulations that will introduce, for the first time, unique standards for breeding, keeping, care and treatment of dogs and cats, including animals in shelters”, it was stated during the meeting.