Hollywood actor in Dubrovnik to highlight plight of animals.
Well known Croatian Hollywood actor Goran Visnjic is visiting Croatia, and as we later found out one of the reasons was to visit the animal shelter at Zarkovica, in the arid mountains above Dubrovnik on January 27, 2016. Goran and his wife Eva, both animal lovers who are known for their campaigns for both awareness and funds for the protection of animals, have been donating money for the care and aid of abandoned animals in Croatia for ten years, even taking some back with them to re-home in Los Angeles.
For those not aware of the pretty terrible situation regarding animal control and care here in Dubrovnik, this may sound like just another celebrity throwing money around for publicity, but for those who know and care for what has been happening here over numerous years, this is welcome news. While the cats sleeping in the old harbour are charming and cute, and have indeed become symbolic of Dubrovnik, the darker side is that these unfortunate stray animals breed and the sheer numbers become out of control. Fleas, worms, ticks and other parasites and diseases are rife and it seems nobody warrants this as remotely important. My own cat, who is well cared for and very loved, is constantly coming back with some medical issue passed to him by a stray he has met on his travels despite all the care he is given.
This is, and should be seen as an enormous problem for both the City of Dubrovnik and for health reasons.
Hopefully celebrity faces like Goran who is a very active ambassador for IFAW (International Foundation for Animal Welfare) campaigning for proper treatment and control over Dubrovnik’s increasing population of strays and abandoned domestic animals will be enough of a push for the Mayor (Andro Vlahusic) to finally put money forward to fund a programme to neuter strays, and for a brick built shelter with running water, heat and electricity to house these poor creatures that have been dealt the short straw time and time again by careless humans.
This truly is the very ugly secret of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
