07/01/05 Report to the Veterinary Inspection - Roberto Stores
VETERINARY OFFICE OF THE CITY OF ZAGREB
Mr. Zeljko Devicic
Avenija Dubrovnik 12
10000 Zagreb
July 1, 2005
Dear Mr. Devicic,
After numerous reports of citizens to our organization, media and after convincing ourselves personally, we would like to draw your attention to the improper way of holding and caring about animals used for gaining profit in the shoe stores Roberto.
The footwear shops Roberto in Ilica 23 and Gunduliceva 3 are holding gold fish in round vessels as exhibition between the shoes that are being sold there. After one of our activists went to warn the workers in Ilica 23 to remove the fish from the shop window because of inadequate treatment saying that she would call in the veterinary inspection, one of the vessels was put away, but the rest of the vessels were still in the windows in both shops.
These fish are put in round vessels where they are constantly swimming in circles, which does not satisfy most basic standards of keeping fish, in addition to this they are exposed to sun that heats up the window shops and, considering the fact that the shops has a huge traffic, we suspect with good reason that no one changes the water or takes a minimum of care of their wellbeing, their health and their life.
We consider it unacceptable to use animals for publicity purposes in a way to force their natural behavior and to hold them in unsatisfying and humiliating conditions. The same counts for holding live animals as exhibition in window shops. Article 20 and Article 23 of the existing Animal Welfare Act are sanctioning this kind of use of animal.
That is why we are asking you to urgently inspect the whole case and take the proper steps to help the animals and to sanction such mistreatment of animals.
Thanking in advance, we would also kindly request you to send us a written report of your veterinary inspection.
Yours sincerely,
Luka Oman
Animal Friends
