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LETTERS FROM GUARDIANS OF HOMELESS ANIMALS
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow Northern Administrative District
"Happy" lot of your kitten (puppy)
Your pet cat (dog) has given birth to a litter, is feeding. You relatives, acquaintances promised to take several kittens (puppies), you have no idea, where to accommodate these fine tiny creatures. And, “Oh, what luck!” – you see some people standing and displaying nameboards reading: “Willing to take your kittens, puppies ".
You’re coming up to them, making arrangement, exchanging phone numbers. Hopeful, you’re left waiting when the sucklings grow up.
Now, the sucklings have grown up a bit (often, not enough!). You give away the puppies (kittens) to the “distributors” and pay them money for their “job”. Rbls. 150-300 for each kitten (puppy). And, you’re happy, your conscience is clear.
In autumn in particular, they are taking kittens and puppies to the “distributors”, taking, taking… And a hold-all (carrying cage, box) is stuffed with your darling little creatures ruthlessly – all in a one place, packed like rabbits in a warren.
What do you think, how many kittens (puppies) will these kindhearted distributors give away to passers-by during a single day? If you had not been too lazy and had stood in the street together with your dear pets, you would have found out: MAXIMUM 2-3, and puppies even fewer, plus there is no guarantee that new owners will not throw a grown up “kid” as he starts being “unruly” (i.e. run, rush about, play – the way all children should).
And what happens to the rest, the other rabbits in a warren?
The “happiest” are lucky: their owners deal in exotic animals: crocodiles, snakes… for a while, a kitten (puppy) will be well fed, given enough water to drink, so it could not lose flesh before lunch-time of the snake …
Other tiny pets, chosen by passers-by may be left until next day in that very bag. The pets will be fed, given tranquilizers in an appropriate dose and if they wake up next morning, possibly some passers-by will take them. They may not wake up just as well – in that case, they had a great luck! If the awakening process has taken some time and the pets are sleepy - off to the shrubs, to get rid of. Who wants them? Poisoned with “tranquilizers” your tiny darling kitten (puppy) will be dying quietly for 3-5 days …
The remaining pets in boxes, each holding 5 to 15 pcs, will be placed by teenagers at the request of the “kindhearted” distributors in the entrance spaces of apartment houses, under the railway platforms, thrown into a bon-fire. The dwellers of nearby houses say they see in the evenings someone smashing the kittens (puppies) head against the house wall or against the road asphalt. The lucky ones die at once, others, with broken bones creep away in the brush, thick grass …
Do you want such a lot for your pet? Do not neuter it, never.
Many will say: Oh, Oh, Oh! Don’t tell me things like that! This cannot be true! Do not upset me! I won’t be able to sleep after your stories! And does your beloved pet thrown out by the “distributors” have a good sleep, and where?
You know, me, too. I would gladly not hear or see all this, I don’t want! Yet, I am unable to pass by the hapless creatures, unfortunately, cannot leave alone those pets that you have thrown out, mutilated.
Therefore, my dear owners of beloved tiny cats and dogs, neuter your pets, shed responsibility for their bitter lots, intolerable tortures of creatures you’ve given away to the “distributors”.
You may object: “And what about shelters?” Can you personally maintain such a shelter? Find a place, put there cages purchased by you, buy fodder. Put drinking water every day, c lean cages, fondle each animal at least once a day, cure the ailing animals, sterilize, castrate them to spare them the lustful desires, lest they should contract venereal diseases (the animals have these, too), herpes, ear ticks …
If you cannot set up and run a shelter, go and have a look at one, at least the one near to “Vykhino” metro station, behind the church. Then you will realize that shelter animals should be rescued.
The Bible. Ecclesiastes. Chapter 3. Extracts from Verses 18-19: "…that they might see that they themselves are beasts…a man hath no preeminence above a beast …”
We – people – do not want to see such places in the Holy Writ, we can only see what pleases us, our vanity. Yet we should see the God not only loving us, but despising us for our hard-hearted deeds.
Sterilize your adored animals! – Pity also those who pick up your mutilated little ones, treat, feed, give water to drink, as far as possible seek and give away into loving hands. As a rule, these are people of minimum means. While helping your tiny pets, they stint themselves in everything, including food and sleep. They are referred to as “tender-hearted”: Yes, their hearts are aching for everything and for all. For this, they get it in the neck from those around them … they are even beaten up with sticks, their arms and legs occasionally get broken … But all the same, they have more pity for other mutilated ones than for themselves.
People, be kind, at least so that your children could grow up kind towards you!
September 14 ñåíòÿáðÿ, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow North-western Administrative District
To: ANO “Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals”
I am a guardian of animals. At present, I’ve opened a card index of lost animals, the card index has been in existence for a few years already. On more than one occasion, people telephoned me telling that animals are being shot off in the city (even though this is illegal), and that cats are being walled up in the basements of residential buildings. Some dog owners, capitalizing on their impunity, set their pet dogs at other animals (especially, cats), deriving pleasure from the exercise. The owners of affected animals are unable to do anything, because our militia would not accept applications from them, or even if they do, they do not deal with the problem. As far homeless animals are concerned, they seem to be nobody’s business. Badly injured animals lie outdoors for days and await their agonizing death. Veterinary services either refuse to attend to such animals, or demand amounts the guardians cannot afford.
Following a direction issued by Moscow authorities, nearly all ventilation holes in the basements of residential buildings, inhabited by homeless cats, were closed. This has led to a situation, where half of the cats lost their shelter, while the other half was walled up alive. The local authorities ignored all appeals of the guardians to open the basements, motivating this by alleged possibility of a terrorist attack. As a result, there emerged swarms of rats, fleas and mosquitoes Besides, the Unitary Customer Directorates regularly spread a poisonous substance intended for rats, yet it is not the rats, but domestic and homeless cats and dogs that die. On balance, it turns out that people and animals are at the receiving end, while those authorized to keep watch on the observance of animal rights protection in fact do nothing and tale the floor in talk-shows, praising themselves for the work done, even though there is no getting any real help from them.
09.07.04, Signature
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Letter from a Moscow Lady-dweller
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinnsky, Chief of
Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals
Dear Evgeny Anatolievich!
I’ve been a guardian of homeless animals for years. I am a pensioner, living alone for my modest pension. At present, I have a dog and a cat, both of which I picked up on the street. I use my modest means to feed cats in the street, I treat them, too. Animal feeds are expensive, yet my love of animals leaves me no chance to ignore homeless animals, when I see them in the street. It is most painful and it hurts me morally, when I see people doing harm to defenseless animals, plus I hear insults and rude things addressed to me, which such people tend to regard as normal. They tell me I had better spend money for my own good. Of course, it’s very difficult, but I want to help the animals so much. Therefore, it works they way it does.
August 3, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: ANO “Charitable Society
for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals"
Mr. E.A. Ilyinsky
I’ve lived thirty four years in my house on the ground floor. All this time, I’ve been feeding homeless female cats. They’ve begun closing air-ducts in the basements of our houses lately. The cats are disappearing increasingly often, or they get torn to pieces by the dogs. They also die of nasty weather and cold, especially in winter. The basements are inhabited by the cats and they have nowhere to hide. When shall we finally have a humane attitude towards homeless animals: either they should open all air-ducts in the basements, or they should set up shelters for cats and dogs, where they will be able to live undisturbed?
July 21, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A. Ilyinsky, ANO “Charitable Society
for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals”
Dear Evgeny Anatolievich,
I’ve lived in my house for over 30 years. All this time, I’ve seen people to treat pet animals cruelly. They throw out their dogs, cats into the street, replacing the huge army of homeless animals. Once, a German shepherd was thrown out, and in spring – a cat with kittens. It’s a heart-rending sight, therefore, I help such animals.
It’s unbelievable that a huge city like Moscow cannot afford shelters for stray animals, pensioners have to feed and treat them.
When in metro, one should be careful walking not to tread on the paws of dogs lying around. Please, do something to improve the situation: we shall never have enough money to manage it..
May 1, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinsky, Director of
“Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals"
Dear Evgeny Anatolievich!
We, a group of pensioners, have been guardians of homeless cats for years, we feed them twice a day, accommodate, wherever we can, kittens, and exert many efforts towards sterilizing maximum number of cats, we help them, when they get sick, we also attend to dogs. We managed to neuter a few dogs, we are placing adverts regarding the accommodation of puppies and kittens in the hope the new owners for them will be found; sometimes, we succeed.
All this calls for serious efforts, time and, of course, money: we rip off part of our pensions, all know what these are. Sometimes, we encounter people who help us materially, but such people are few; many more are either indifferent, or wicked, who harm the animals; even some dog owners do not restrain their pets, but set them deliberately at cats or a stray dog, which, naturally, is weaker. Our administration realizes the importance of help to be extended to animals, but they lack money for the construction and maintenance of an animal shelter. Yet, there is another woe: persistent petitions of the dwellers regarding the closure of air-ducts with grates: it is through these air-ducts that cats get into the basements: how this problem will be settled, we don’t know.
We hereby request your interference and help.
15.07.04, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinsky, Director of
“Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals"
I have 10 cats living at my place; these I picked up in the street because they needed my help. The cats, and very often kittens, were thrown out into the street by their former owners, already mutilated and diseased. I even dread to recall the kind of atrocities the animals were subjected to, short of pricked eyes.
Also in my charge, there are cats living in the basements of nearby houses and garages. These I have to protect from stray dogs, fight with the workers of the House Maintenance Authority, who, with enviable regularity, close the air-ducts in the basements.
It is a matter for great regret that there are very few people, who realize the importance of and sympathize with this kind of activity financed from a miserable pension. One cannot imagine the insults and rude words we have to hear addressed to us at every encounter, which is why we have to go out and feed the animals, when it gets dark, i.e. in the evening.
Why is nothing done to execute Mayor Luzhkov’s decree regarding the setting up of animals shelters in every administrative district? Even in the program of our district, not a single mention of animals is made, let alone of some financial aid, at least at discounted prices.
Therefore, the setting up of animal shelters should be a priority, or home-based mini shelters must be legitimized so as to help one another.
Sincerely yours,
23.07.04, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Dr. E.A. Ilyinsky, ANO “Charitable Society
for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals "
Why does nearly the entire population of this country, and especially the workers of Housing and Communal Services, treat homeless animals and people helping them in so wicked a manner, although the animals have become homeless through their fault.
I’m 69 – a disabled of IInd category, deprived of the right to work, therefore I have to gather empty bottles and jars to earn a little money. For a little over the last 10 years, I’ve been doing my best to help homeless animals. My next-door neighbors are N. (aged 85, his eyesight impaired seriously); Z… (aged 76) and to be able to feed homeless animals he keeps working; L… (aged 65). You cannot imagine what we are doing and are socializing with such people to be able to somehow accommodate or give shelter to the homeless, are tolerating both material expenditure and moral losses. We need the money for medicines and neutering. Wherever I tried to apply during all this time, I received no help from organizations that, judging by their names, have something to do with animal protection, I even was unable to obtain a paper, saying how one can protect the hapless animals, and not animals alone: we, too, are outlaws. As you go out, you look around to avoid an encounter with undesirable individuals. And, just a few days ago, I heard a hissing whisper: she’s feeding the cats. And, it’s not uncommon to take drugs before going out. To be able to feed cats, one either has to do this very early in the morning, or too late in the evening, otherwise, one stands a chance of being scolded or being poured boiling water on, they may do harm to the animals, too. I used to take cats for neutering to Vasilisa Kozhina Street or to Yunnatov Street (Metro station ”Dynamo”).
Recently, after numerous futile attempts, I managed to reach Moscow Government by telephone. They gave me some reason to rejoice: I have to obtain a certificate for every cat and only after that it will be possible to start legal proceedings in respect of our offenders. But where shall we take time and money to go through all this paper work? And who will be protecting our charges in the meantime? Besides, to get details of this procedure, one should apply “nobody knows where” – they have no fixed hours for visitors. I called Mrs. Babayan’s organization, a telephone receiver there is taken up by young men’s voices only to tell us they are unable to help with our woes. Is it really impossible to publish Art. 245 of the Criminal Code? Simply say on radio and TV that this article pertains to animal protection only. When shall we, at long last, have real help in the area of protecting homeless animals, instead of endless promises and empty talk!!!
16.07.04, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow North-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinsky, ANO “Charitable Society
for the Guardianship Homeless Animals”
from a lady-pensioner, a disabled of 2nd category
Because homeless animals (cats and dogs) are in need of socials and material protection:
- cats and dogs have nowhere to live because all windows in the basements are walled up;
- animals are subjected to malicious treatment by cruel people;
- some owners set their dogs on the cats.
I personally have been taking care of homeless cats for the last 15 years; doing this is hard to me both physically and materially. The animals (maimed) have to be treated, and all this takes time and money.
Therefore, I’m appealing to you to help solve the problem of feeding and keeping animals on a state level, to legitimize the rights of guardians of homeless animals and provide material and social assistance to the guardians.
06.08.04, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A. Ilyinsky, Director of
ANO “Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals"
Dear Evgeny Anatolievich,
I’m writing to you personally and on behalf of my friends, who are fond of cats and help them. We have many homeless cats living in our yard. For years, we’ve been feeding and accommodating kittens, treating the cats. Each of us has at home at least two cats picked up in the street.
The position of street cats is horrible, especially in winter. Their main refuge are the basements of our houses, yet many take a poor view of this, so the basement windows are closed. Stray dogs, too, make the life of cats difficult (although the position of stray dogs is no better). As far as we, the pensioners, are concerned, we are trying to help both, but our capacity is limited.
We know that abroad the life of animals is the responsibility of both the public and the municipal authorities. They assist in building shelters for homeless cats, organizing street dining-rooms, providing free medical facilities.
Evgeny Anatolievich! We are imploring you to do your best to organize similar activities. We know you are doing a lot in this area, but the main thing this is this: there must be animal shelters, where the animals in distress could be helped, when they are cold, hungry or diseased. We do hope the municipal authorities will assist actions towards the guardianship of our smaller brethren and will help you.
08.08.04, Signature
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Letter from a Moscow Lady-dweller
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinsky, Chief of
Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals
Dear Evgeny Anatolievich!
I’m a pensioner, 78 years of age. I feed 12 homeless cats. I live alone for my pension only, nobody helps me, but all the same I‘m unable to abandon the cats, spending all my pension on them.
August 2, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Mr. E.A.Ilyinsky, Chief of
Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals
I am a disabled pensioner, a very sick person. I keep a tiny female cat at my place, which I picked up in the street. It horrifies me to think what may happen to the cat if it lives longer than me: will it share the plight of the huge army of homeless cats? Because I have to be hospitalized every now and then, each time the question where to accommodate my hapless charge arises.
Our private hotels are very expensive and pensioners cannot afford them, while free shelters are not available. I want more free shelters and veterinary clinics to be built, the state should not shift this responsibility on pensioners.
July 24, 2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow South-western Administrative District
To: Charitable Society for the Guardianship
of Homeless Animals
Describing the hardships of homeless animals in our city Moscow is beyond my words. In fact, the city does nothing, to be more exact, what it does is definitely very little, to improve their lot.
This year, I had to accommodate a homeless kitten, and I was horrified by total indifference of the people.
Compassionate people unite in small societies, trying to help the hapless animals as best they can. However, to an enormous city like Moscow this is a drop in the bucket. The said societies have no money, nor do they receive any aid from the state. There are no full-fledged nurseries, while those operating for profit rip off big money, and nobody trusts them. Indifference to indigent “our smaller brethren” is equivalent to cruelty. Action must surely be taken, if we are still called human beings. There exist higher organizations, the press, TV.
11.7.2004, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-dweller of Moscow Central Administrative District
To: Charitable Society for the Guardianship
of Homeless Animals
Petition
Every day, I go visit ten different places to feed 30 cats. I have three pet cats at my place that I picked up in the street. Every day, I see people kill cats cruelly, poison them. The cats are often run over by vehicles or are torn to pieces by the dogs. There are no rats in the houses, where cats live. People fail to realize this and despise cats. The animals are absolutely defenseless, the basements are closed and walled up. We talk to house dwellers each day, yet sometimes they pour hot water on us or simply attack us. There are no state-run animal shelters, the state does not protect the animals.
29.07.04, Signature
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Letter from a Lady-Dweller of Moscow Eastern Administrative District
To: Charitable Society for the Guardianship
of Homeless Animals
I feel bound to turn to you with a number of problems and requests associated with the fate of homeless animals. I’ve been a guardian of homeless cats for years: these live in the basement of our house. I’m 73, I live on my pension and despite this, every evening I set out to feed them. Also, I sterilize them. You can easily imagine the efforts, time and money all this takes (I also have 2 pet cats at my place). This notwithstanding, nobody helps or supports me, except one lady-neighbor, who lives next door to me.
Moreover, I often encounter a negative attitude to the homeless animals problem: Unitary Customer Directorates often wall up the basement, forgetting that cats save us from rats; they set dogs on the cats, while precinct inspectors of militia simply dismiss our petitions as if they were a nuisance.
Also, we suffer materially: the feeds and drugs are very expensive, like all other veterinary services: we approached a mechanical trapping service several times, requesting to trap a wild cat: they demanded Rbls. 800 for the job, but the cat was never trapped for the purpose of sterilization. For this reason, every 4 months we have a problem with kittens, for we must calculate time to trap them (maximum 5 weeks), cure them for fleas and ticks, and give them away into loving hands. This is a problem, too, since it is no simple matter giving a kitten away by standing near a metro station: militia would not allow this, they will scare you away.
On the basis of the aforesaid, please, help:
1. Determine our status as nature conservationists;
2. Help us materially (Discounts, enabling us to have access to cheaper feeds, free medicines or discounted drugs);
3. Using veterinary services with a discount;
4. Issue a decree or pass a law on these matters, protecting our rights;
5. Through the Ministry of Education, indoctrinate schoolchildren regarding a proper attitude to animals. For this, involve mass media and the press. Even if these modest measures are taken, life could be more humane and the people more kind;
Sincerely yours, 04.08.04, Signature
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Letters from the dwellers of Moscow Southern Administrative District
To: ANO “Charitable Society for the Guardianship
of Homeless Animals "
PETITION
We are volunteer guardians of homeless animals many of which found themselves outdoors due to irresponsible and callous owners. Every day, we feed homeless cats that inhabit the basements of three nearby houses, and of three dogs living in the y; we catch these animals, if we can, cure them, sterilizer and given them away into the loving hands; lately, we have thus accommodated several dozens such animals. We still have thirteen cats in our charge, the last five we picked up during the past two months; all of these used to be pets that fell out of the windows or balconies of the flats of their former owners; the owners did not even took the trouble of searching for their pets or take them back, although we had pasted adverts on the doors to the entrance spaces and asked the children of the houses in question to walk round the flats and look for the owners.
As far as the animals are concerned, those that live at our places or inhabit the three nearby houses, we feed, cure, sterilize them at our expense, thus reducing our family budgets; we spend our personal time. Besides the inconveniences of material and temporary nature that we experience, there are also quite a few people, above all officers or managers of varying levels, who interfere with our activities, disallowing us to help the animals.
Most officers violate decrees, enactments issued by the mayor’s office, Moscow Housing Inspection. Over the last several months, many House Maintenance Departments and Unitary Customer Directorates have been walling up the air-ducts in the basements, thereby violating the maintenance of the housing stock and leaving homeless cats with no opportunity of finding a suitable dwelling or walled in the basements, which dooms to an agonizing death. For several months, we have been approaching various organizations in a bid to force House Maintenance Department to open at least one air-duct in the houses, and during this time a few cats in our charge died, because it was winter.
At present, we are campaigning for the construction of an animal shelter in Moscow Southern Administrative District. The prefecture of this district informed us that the area for this animal shelter had already been allocated, but nothing else is being done in this area. Although the city allocates money for the construction of animal shelters, the local officials are not in a hurry to execute the decree, and problems of the animals remain unresolved.
In our complex weather conditions, stray dogs are exposed to rains or freeze on the snow for better part of the year; anybody is free to throw a stone at them, hit with a stick or even butcher eat them; homeless cats simply die, having no home, or die in the dogs’ teeth, under the wheels of vehicles or die from starvation, being walled up in the basement. Besides, until now the Law “On Animals” has not been passed on the federal or municipal level.
Therefore, we appeal to the Charitable Society for the Guardianship of Homeless Animals to intercede with the upper organizations for granting discounts, when buying feeds and medicines for animals in our charge.
Sincerely, August 2, 2004, two signatures