Andrew Brons Speaks Out on Animal Cruelty in the Ukraine

Andrew Brons MEP has been lobbied by several constituents on the issue of cruelty to dogs in Ukraine after a protest organised by anti-animal cruelty organisation Naturewatch, our EU correspondent reports.

Authorities in the Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv have been allocated money to deal with what appeared to be an exaggerated problem of stray dogs.

According to a Naturewatch delegation which visited the EU yesterday, most of the money is misappropriated and the collected stray animals are starved, poisoned and killed in the cheapest — and sometimes the cruellest — ways possible.

Whilst Ukraine is a member of the international body for animal welfare, Organisation for Animal Health, it does not comply with its standards of animal care.

Naturewatch urged MEPs to vote against visa liberalisation—which Mr Brons would have done anyway, being an opponent of EU membership and enlargement.

Mr Brons has also pledged to raise the issue in any debate on Ukraine in the Parliament or in Committee and will sign a joint letter on the issue to be sent to the mayors of the four cities and to other Ukrainian authorities.

Mr Brons has also tabled a question to the Commission asking it if it would bring the issue to the attention of the Ukrainian authorities in any future dealings the Commission might have with the authorities in that country.

“Some might think it inappropriate to raise the issue of animal welfare in Ukraine on the day after the sentencing of the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, to seven years imprisonment, following what has been described as a show trial,” Mr Brons said.

“It just happened that the Naturewatch delegation arrived at the European Parliament today. Concern for animal welfare in Ukraine and concern for its improperly imprisoned politicians are not and do not have to be mutually exclusive concerns,” he said.