Per nje ligj efektiv mbi Mbrojtjen e Kafshëve në Shqipëri / For an effective Animal Protection Law i

To His Excellency the Prime Minister of Albania:
Dear Sir,

1. Considering that it is the duty of humans to respect animals and to ensure that these benefit from legislation which protects them in an adequate and effective way;

2. Considering that this duty is increasingly recognized and valued not only within the Albanian society but also across the world, and that it has been driving governments, parliaments and municipalities from several regions of the world to take advanced legislative and practical steps to protect animals;

3. Considering that, in spite of the latter being also a duty of the Albanian State, this state has not been matching it, or meeting its responsibilities in this field thus leaving Albanian's animals cruelly abandoned and victims of the state indifference, which, both by actions and omissions, has been permitting that many and serious harms committed against animals may happen in an environment of total impunity;

4. Considering that the Albanian State, by not taking proactive, modern, effective and adequate legislative measures, by not forbidding cruel, unacceptable and absolutely unnecessary practices, and also by involving some of its institutions, among which are the municipalities, in the cruel treatment of animals, disregards all European Animal Protection Acts;

5. Considering that the Albanian State wants to promote tourism by enhancing the sensitivity and humanity of its citizens, this state is called to protect its animals and give example of humanity and respect;

We, the undersigned, call on the Albanian Parliament to establish and enact an Animal Protection Law that is

a) wide-ranging, in a way that it establishes animal protection regulations affecting all areas in which animals are somehow used and involved,

b) coherent, clear and specific, in a way that its provisions can be understood, respected and enforced,

c) strongly protective, establishing:

i) unequivocally the prohibitions which are due to be defined,

ii) strong penalties to the infringements of the law, and

iii) exclusive legal permissions to hold animals in captivity and/or to inflict pain, suffering and/or death to animals only in the cases in which that is strictly necessary and justified, also rigidly and clearly regulating those permissions,

d) easy to enforce, in a way that the agencies and officials which are responsible for enforcing the law and making sure it is respected may execute their enforcement work in the most direct, fast and effective manner, so that the infringements may be punished as swiftly and efficiently as possible, also to be accompanied of immediate and precautionary measures to protect the affected animals´ safety and integrity - measures which should be also immediately put to practice by these very agencies and officials.

Sincerely yours