Eddy on animal shelter – Grazer Arche Noah is still in acute need

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There were searches and the public prosecutor concluded: the fuss about the animal shelter Arche Noah in Graz never stops. But what does that mean for animal welfare in Styria? asked the “Steirerkrone”.

Economic infidelity related to veterinary clinic ties, worker coercion, and animal cruelty: As reported, last week the detectives went to a court-approved search of active animal protections to verify these allegations. “There is a corresponding suspicion,” said Hansjörg Bacher, spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office in Graz.

Documents were seized, witnesses are being questioned, “a result can be expected in a few weeks at the earliest,” continues Bacher. Then the further steps are determined. And how it ends: washing clean (especially of the chairman Karl Forstner) or guilty verdict?

Lang: “Vortex is more than sad”
“I started to make Styria the number one animal protection country – the fuss alone is of course more than sad,” said Deputy Governor Anton Lang (SPÖ), the political responsible for animal protection.

“The authorities need to clarify which of the allegations is true and what happens next. And I demand full clarification here. Arche Noah is an important contract partner for the housing of dogs and cats, everything has to fit here.”

Active animal welfare is combative
Of course there are only accusations so far, of course the presumption of innocence applies to all involved. In any case, active animal protection is combative: “We can and will defend ourselves”, it is announced. “There will be nothing left of the false accusations.”

Critics expect very different things, it has long been said that the ark sails in stormy seas. Last year there was a threat of bankruptcy and the situation has escalated in any case since the election of the chairman. When an opposing candidate was named, Forstner abruptly canceled the election (which is likely inconsistent with the statute). In the new election, in which he was confirmed as chairman, opponents localized a solid game. The election is contested.

Criticism of leadership style
The focus is also on Forstner’s leave strategy (also for the opposing candidate); at the expense of the animals, as opponents of his management style, which should not allow any criticism, complain.

The complications with the veterinary clinic, run by Forstner’s wife, are an important topic in the investigation, and the medical records of the home care workers were also requested for treatments and accounting. But the mere suspicion of animal cruelty naturally falls like a black shadow over an animal shelter.

Animal Welfare Ombudsman: ‘It has to be cleaned up completely’
“Everything here must be completely cleaned up”, animal protection ombudswoman Barbara Fiala-Köck demands, who adheres to this: “The most important thing is that the animals are cared for as well as possible in the meantime.”

Official investigations were also ordered into “walk schedules”, staffing levels and possible risk of injury in kennels.

Lang: “Nagging only comes from a corner”
Of course the fuss of the animal conservation scene in Styria doesn’t help – and especially in our state there are a lot of people who focus on the welfare of the animals without wanting to make a name for themselves. Anton Lang knows that too: “We have excellent animal rights activists in Styria! The constant nagging and threatening always only comes from one corner. The surroundings of Noah’s ark.”

Thousands of animals in eight Styrian animal shelters
Here’s the current status: Seven state contractors operate eight animal shelters in our state. Every year, an average of 3,400 cats are given away and 3,200 cats are adopted. In the case of small animals, according to the calculation, 50 of the 1500 included “over”. In the case of dogs, 1300 places are also mediated in an average year.

Financing the service contracts costs the state 1,912,849.09 euros per year. In return, the partners will provide 307 spaces for dogs, 689 for cats and 495 for small animals.

Are food donations necessary?
Lang cannot understand why Active Animal Welfare is currently actively asking for food donations: “The country has never paid so much money for the houses, should the animals here go hungry, immediate intervention and interrogation will be required. I am also making an extracurricular feed donation to respond to the general price increase. We are also evaluating the situation in terms of costs and financing. We are also on top compared to other federal states.”

Source: Krone

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