Dear Mr. Michel Platini!

The Association of Animal Protection Organizations of Ukraine was created on 8-th April, 2009 in order to force Ukrainian authorities, local and central as well, into the true realisation of the Law of Ukraine «About protection of animals from cruel treatment», adopted as early as on 21.02.2006. The Association unites animal protection organizations of all regions of Ukraine and the burning question nowadays is the situation with the homeless animals, who are being killed by means of inhumane methods. Not only animals suffer from this, but also Ukrainian people, because most of Ukrainians are kind and merciful persons, and try to help homeless animals at their own expense, give them medical help, and can not reconcile with the death of their friends.

In many Ukrainian cities, to our greatest regret, killing of homeless animals is still under way and is done by means of kurare-like poison “ditilin” (dithylinum), which is by itself a double violation of the Law. And even in the cities where local programs of sterilization heve been financed (which is, surely, a step forward), the problem is not being sold, because the funds are being stolen, and the public organisations have been completely discharged from participation in these programs, moreover, from supervising them. Vivid examples of such situation are Kyiv and Kharkov, where carrying out of these programs have been entrusted to corrupted officials, whose ultimate aim is personal enrichment. The inability of the authorities to positively manage the situation brings to the increase of the number of homeless animals.

The situation becomes critical on the eve of the EURO-2012, when the desire to look like a civilized country can result in massive murder of homeless animals in Ukrainian cities.

We believe, that the country, willing to receive the European Championship must in reality be, and not only look like, an European country. This means the need to accept European moral standards and to create ways of their fulfillment. To achieve this, not muchis really needed: to influence the Ukrainian authorities and the very organizers of EURO 2012 (who are not poor and helpless indeed) with the aim to make them personally help to solve the problem of homeless animals in humane ways, the deed that may bring Ukraine the respect of European nations.

With hope for Your attention!
Truly Yours,

The president of Association of
Animal Protection Organizatons of Ukraine                                                    Asya Serpinska