In 2019, six puppies were found. Their mother was unfortunately dead. Luckily, a loving volunteer found them and took all six under her care. With JETA: Tier und Mensch, the puppies received proper medical attention and vaccinations and worked with the volunteer to find them forever homes. After some time, only one was left: little Umi. One day, an Albanian family finally showed interest.
Adoptions are celebrations for animal organizations. But domestic adoptions in Albania are celebrations laced with anxiety and a dose of cautious optimism. Why? Shouldn’t we be excited more Albanians want to adopt companion animals? Isn’t it a victory that someone did not buy a dog or cat but rather adopted? While the answer certainly is ‘yes’, the reality is: it’s not so simple.
JTUM’s mission is to serve as guardians and voices of these animals. We must ensure they live in a loving, safe environment. What constitutes a loving, safe environment varies between countries, cultures and individuals. And, it’s often hard to find compromise. For many Albanians, dogs and cats must live outside, separate from the family, and should be allowed to wander freely. Nature can take its course and veterinarian care is not a priority.
But for many other cultures, including my own, a dog and cat are a commitment, a member of the family who has unique needs and wants, but ultimately their safety and health are the responsibility of the human(s). For all they give to us, what we give back as their family is a loving, safe, dignified place to live and thrive.
Umi, for example, was left to wander the streets by himself most days. And while the family may think this is natural for an animal, it puts Umi at risk – for poisoning, to be hit by a car or abused, or to sustain a less-threatening injury or illness, which JTUM often must finance when the family can’t afford treatment. Additionally, it contributes to the macro problem of too many animals wandering the streets. Umi, unknowingly, took food from animals who needed it more on his wanderings. Thankfully, Umi is sterilized, so the concern of more stray puppies is off the table.
So while it’s tempting to give one of the many stray animals to any family who wants to adopt, it’s irresponsible and perpetuates the many problems we’re trying to address if we do.
So what to do? How do you find a compromise?
As a first step, JTUM vets all Adopters – both internationally and domestically – and requires the Adopter(s) to sign an agreement that states the following:
- The Adopter shall always provide health care; proper and adequate, nutritious food; and safe shelter for the adopted animal.
- The Adopter will never abandon the adopted animal on the street for any reason.
- The adopted animal should never be tied with ropes (chains, etc.), except when taken on walks.
- The animal’s housing provisions at the Adopter’s home must meet standards approved by the Organization, JETA Tier und Mensch.
- The Adopter guarantees to bring the dog for future necessary medical treatments to the veterinarian approved by the Organization, JETA Tier und Mensch. The Organization will be in contact with the veterinarian and Adopter to ensure proper communication.
For any needs or questions, the Adopter should contact the representative of the organization JETA Tier und Mensch.
The organization (JETA Tier und Mensch) and its representatives have the right to visit and observe the situation of the animal in the house where he / she is located to confirm the animal’s care meets the above specifications.
This contract is signed according to the legal provisions in force: CRIMINAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA, “Article 207/1 Violation of the rules of keeping a companion animal”.
When the Adopter violates the above, they are in violation of the law. And although this law is rarely upheld in Albania, it does exist and allow legal ground to take an animal back into our care. Though tragic to take an animal back, it’s necessary to protect and defend the helpless animal who deserves safety and health.
And as a second step, we have to start to change the animal-human relationship. One mission statement by the Black Lives Matter movement comes to mind: Lead by love. Seeing dogs and cats in loving relationships with their humans can make a difference to a population not accustomed to seeing this. Though the process may be slow, just by seeing, change can happen. Volunteers walking dogs on leads, bringing your dog and behaving as if he deserves respect and love, and attending awareness and educational programs is key to change.
*If you would like to adopt Umi (see photo of this sweet dog), please contact [email protected].
