06/28/06 Demand for an inspection supervision of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,
FORESTRY AND WATER MANAGEMENT
VETERINARY DEPARTMENT
Att Mr. Mate Brstilo
Ulica grada Vukovara 78
10000 Zagreb
Dear Mr. Brstilo,
We are writing to you with a request for a prompter procedure of the inspection supervision of work of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci, J. Kozarca 24 in Vinkovci as well as the revision of the autopsy report of Laboratory for Pathology and Parasitology of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci from May 31, 2006, concerning the autopsy report of a dog owned by Ana Djonlic from Slatina.
Animal Friends organization had received on May 27 a notification from Ana Djonlic and Jadranka Djonlic from Slatina, Stublovacka 35, on an intentional wounding from a firearm of a 3-year-old mutt Kodij owned by Ana Djonlic, done by Pero Begic from Slatina, Stublovecka 51. On May 27, Ana and Jadranka Djonlic were, at about 11 A.M., walking down Stublovacka Street in Slatina with the dog without a leash. At one moment the dog ran about 50 meters in front of the owner, but when it came in front of the family house in Stublovacka 51, Pero Begic has fired a shot from his rifle from his fenced garden that hit the dog. Whining, the dog had dragged itself to Jadranka Djonlic and died. Jadranka Djonlic had immediately informed the authorized police station of Police department Viroviticko-podravska, which had upon inspection confiscated the air rifle, along with the related ammunition. Pero Begic had confessed to the police and interested media that he shot the dog, and the gunfire, after the dog died, was also witnessed by random passerssby.
Animal Friends has filed a report against Pero Begic for animal torture and causing unnecessary pain according to the Article 260 of Criminal Law as well as a violation request as a result of violating Animal Welfare Act, Violation of Public Order and Peace Act, and Weapons Act.
Veterinarian of Veterinary station Slatina, Kralja Tomislava 16 in Slatina, Drazenko Majetic, following the request of the dog's owner Ana Djonlic, sent the dog's corpse to the Veterinary Institute Vinkovci, to detemine by autopsy the class of bullet and in order for the owner to take legal recourse for murder of the dog. Research report of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci from May 31, which is signed by veterinarian Zlatko Kovac, except for being written slatternly and unprofessionally, as the cause of the dog's death named toxication with anticoagulant toxicant. That result contradicts the confession of Pero Begovic that he shot the dog with the shot from his own rifle, the record of Police department Viroviticko-podravska which had filed a report against Pero Begic and with testimonies of passers-by who had seen that the dog, after being shot, died. Furthermore, beside the report about the tests, record was issued which says that Ana Djonlic has on June 1 taken dog's carcass on her own request, although Ana Djonlic hasn't been in Vinkovci neither has ever taken the dog's carcass, which can be also noted from absence of her signature on the report! The report was singed by director of the laboratory Zlatko Kovac and director of the Department for Animal Welfare of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci Marin Periskic.
As a result of this information, we have reasons to doubt that Veterinary Institute Vinkovci in case of Ana Djonlic proceeded unprofessionally, inexpertly and illegally, and thus violated regulations of the veterinary profession, laws and regulations as well as causing material damage (Ana Djonlic had to pay for cost of autopsy report) and emotional damage to Ana Djonlic, for whom the autopsy report was supposed to be evidence in process against appellant Pero Begic. Miss Djonlic's health has also suffered because of shock and discredit, bearing in mind the fact that the dog until the moment of death was completely healthy and without any sings of possible intoxication.
Therefore we call for an urgent revision of the autopsy report of the dog's carcass owned by Ana Djonlic and inspection control of the work of Veterinary Institute Vinkovci and we demand to be notified on the results, in order to notify Ana Djonlic and interested media. Awareness of citizens about the need of animal protection is rising and it is in the interest of the veterinary profession to sanction those veterinaries whose illegal practice is causing damage to the reputation of the profession and creating distrust of the citizens, who pay them for requested help.
With respect,
Luka Oman
President