Epress.am News from Armenia
A football fan in Germany by the name of Patrick has sent an open letter (and posted a petition online) to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and UEFA President Michel Platini, urging them to act on the killing of stray animals in Ukraine ahead of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship.
The letter reads:
“With deep sadness and horror I read about the planned and already started killing of dogs and cats in preparation for the UEFA European Football Championship 2012 in the Ukraine. Hundreds of dogs and cats are put in bags ALIVE to be carried to a crematorium to suffer until their death in Lysychansk or other places. I really have to ask you, how you can accept this? And I’m sure this act of cruelty is well known to the relevant departments.
“Football brings people of all nations together to enjoy this sport where fairness play an important role. I don’t think that what happens right now is fair. Not to mention the lot of football fans have dogs and cats as their faithful companions.
“It is important to realize that it isn’t a solution to kill stray animals because the responsibility for this situation are their former owners and the government lacking appropriate solutions like sterilization, animal shelters and so on.
“A change has to come and I beg you to do your best in stopping this insane act of animal cruelty, especially for the preparations of a GAME. Please don’t let this happen anymore and urge the government and responsible persons to find other solutions like finding good people willing to adopt a dog/cat or making/asking for a donation so that these dogs and cats could be treated (sterilization) or that they are given shelter. Just find some human way to end this! I met many people from the Ukraine and all of them were wonderful people. Your country has so many good things to offer and it would be a positive sign for the whole world if you end this slaughter. Please let your heart decide for the good and make this world a little better for everyone. We are ALL god’s creation and we should act like that.”