After a series of animal abuse cases in Albania, including a shocking video from Berat, citizens and activists protested in Tirana. They demand an end to violence against dogs and other animals.
Recently, videos showing the abuse and killing of street animals have been shared widely on social media, shocking the public. Animal rights activists call for urgent action.
In one video, shared by the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, a group of teenagers in the city of Berat are seen throwing a puppy into water. They then cut her belly open with a knife. The attackers can be heard laughing and cheering in the background.
The local police were informed but did not take any action, according to the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation.
In another video, a man is seen hitting and killing a dog. The dog is already paralyzed, but the man continues hitting him until he’s dead. And again, people can be heard laughing. “Animals are suffering so much in our country,” influencer Dorina Mema who shared the video, said.
“Fifteen years protesting with all animal lovers, but the law is still sleeping. The law is not holding anyone accountable. The municipals are not working at all to care about stray animals,” she added.
The protest was organized by animal welfare organizations like Animal Rescue Albania, Dandi Mission, Animals Need Me, and Bambi Foundation.
Hundreds of animal lovers, often joined by their dogs, marched through the center of Tirana. They held banners with messages like “Stop Violence.” They handed out educational materials to children and parents, encouraging a culture of kindness.
Public figures such as journalist Zhaklin Lekatari and influencer Dorina Mema also joined, calling for early education on love and responsibility towards animals.
Animal welfare law
The protesters stopped at the President’s residence, the Prime Minister’s office, before ending their march at the Ministry of Defense.
They accuse the Albanian government of ignoring animal abuse and not enforcing fundamental animal protection laws. They urged people to email the Albanian police and demand justice.
“Albanians, for the first time, were so many in number out there standing to protect animals and to ask for these monsters/criminals to be punished,” Aida Shabani from the animal welfare organization Dandi Mission told The Animal Reader. “We marched peacefully. We wanted to show the world the injustice and corruption in our country at any level.”
“Even though some (animal welfare) law exists, no one ever was punished because they give tips to police and prosecutors, and they get away free to kill or torture another animal,” Shabani said. “We call all European institutions to turn attention to this problem and push our government to stop tolerance for animal crimes.”
“While we struggle to save dogs and cats every day, we have no support from authorities, not in financial terms, and not in legal terms. We will continue to protest every time we see another case like this, not punished, in the hope one day our voice will be heard,” Shabani added.
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