The number of stray dogs in the streets of Tetovo is increasing, reports to the police about attacks on citizens are increasing. Every day this week there are reports of attacks on people by stray animals in the police bulletin.

Yesterday, a 27-year-old woman from Tetovo reported that she was attacked by a stray dog ​​in the Block 70 neighborhood of Tetovo, the day before yesterday, a 32-year-old woman from Skopje was also attacked by a stray animal.

But the previous days the newsletters had similar content.

The reality on the ground is even more terrifying, considering that not all citizens report attacks by homeless animals

Estimates are that there are over 500 street dogs in the city. Currently, the Municipality of Tetovo has signed an agreement with the association "Amos" to take care of 83 stray dogs, and the mayor of Tetovo Bilal Kasami recently stated that the volunteer basic soon activities will begin to treat these homeless animals.

However, to what extent are such announcements and whether the contract for caring for dogs with the "AMOS" association has ended and how many have been cared for, "Sloboden Pečet" sent a question to the Municipality of Tetovo via e-mail, but we did not receive an answer.

For now, the authorities are apparently solving the dog problem with announcements and proposals, and last week the municipality published a Rulebook on the method and procedure for determining and paying compensation for damage caused by bites from stray dogs. The goal is, as they indicated from there, that the Municipality of Tetovo should meet the citizens, by simplifying the procedures for such cases, as well as reducing them, i.e. avoiding court costs, as well as the costs of bailiffs and lawyers.

The citizens considered this announcement as frivolous.

"Instead of the municipality dealing with a serious solution to the problem, it publishes regulations if you are bitten by a stray dog." It should act preventively, not to bite you, take care of the dogs and not have stray dogs on the street. The people don't want money, they want the municipality to solve the problem, because safety and health are above all, what is being done in the city is a tragicomedy," says a resident of Tetovo.

The mayor of Gostivar Arben Taravari, who is the new president of the Center for the Development of the Polog Planning Region, recently stated that only with a regional approach will it be possible to solve the problem of stray dogs in the Polog region.

The municipality of Vrapcishte has been indicated as a possible location for a Regional Center for caring for stray dogs from the entire Polog region. But for now this is just an idea, there are no concrete steps on the ground.