ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Animal Welfare Act: The Animal Welfare Act was developed based on the ORCA draft. This act lays the foundations for the wellbeing of all animals that depend on human care and is a turning point in the attitude of humans towards animals in Serbia.

2. Animal Welfare and Education: As a result of the ORCA Education program, students in kindergartens and schools in Serbia today learn what animal welfare is and how it is protected. “Developing awareness of the importance of animal protection and welfare” is one of the general goals of education and upbringing in Serbia. Animal welfare education directly affects proper emotional development and upbringing of children and young people.

3. 10 ORCA protocols: Veterinary inspectors evaluate the welfare of farm animals by 10 ORCA protocols. Protocols include measures that are based on observing the behavior, physical and mental state of an animal (and not just its environment). Serbia is the first country in Europe to officially introduce such protocols! The application of these protocols enables farm welfare condition to be observed and the Animal Welfare Act to be implemented more effectively.

4. Dog Population Control: A unique ORCA model for permanent resolution of abandoned dogs issue named “For People and Dogs” has been designed to support local governments to solve this issue humanely and effectively. The ORCA model application ensures the prevention of health, environmental and hygiene problems regarding dogs, as well as a safe and humane local community.

5. Wild species protection: A stricter protection regime for lynx, elephants and rhinos has been ensured through influencing our country to take an active role in protecting endangered wild fauna and flora at the conferences of the signatories to the CITES Convention.

6. EU Animal Welfare Platform: ORCA is invited to be a member of the Animal Welfare Platform – an advisory body to the European Commission. We are selected among all European organizations, as the only organization from the Western Balkans. Thanks to this, we can directly influence European regulations and more specifically support the process of European integration of the Western Balkans.

7. First National Research on Animal Welfare was done using EU Welfare Quality i Assurewel methodology, which is based on measures on observing condition and behaviour of animals. This research represents the basis for prescribing minimum standards and developing high standards of farm animal welfare.

8. Criminal Code of The Republic of Serbia​: Killing and abuse of animals, as well as organizing animal fights are defined as criminal offense in Serbia, punished with improsenment. First prison sentence for animal abuse dates from 2007 in criminal proceeding initiated and followed by ORCA. This criminal offense still exist in the Criminal Code, and ever since 2007 it has been followed by more than 350 judgements.

9. ORCA farm animal welfare standards are developed in order to improve food safety and consumer rights, but at the same time to improve economic position of the farmers. Retail chains showed interest for these standards.

10. Animals in research​: Animals in research, that had been used in schools and on faculties, have been replaced by softwares and other alternatives; thanks to this change, quality of practical work has been improved.

11. UDAW​: Thanks to ORCA, The Government of Serbia has officially suported the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare in United Nations. This way, Serbia has joined countries and international organizations that support this important act that should encourage states around the world to improve animal welfare standards.

12. Training for teachers​: ORCA’s professional training programme “Animal welfare and us” certified by the national Institute for improvement of education trained over 2500 teachers and professional associates in Serbia (2007-2010). This program helps teachers to implement animal welfare themes that have direct impact on emotional and cognitive development of children in their everyday work.

13. Companion animals are not things​: Companion animals can no longer be taken away during seizuire of property. Ministry of Justice accepted our initiative, which was the first step towards treating animals in Serbia as sentient beings. Thanks to this initiative, companion animal welfare and their owners’ rights can be protected efficiently.

14. Confiscation of the animal and prohibition of keeping the animal​: Thanks to our initiative, for the first time in Serbian legislation history, Misdemanour Court can prescribe confiscation of the animal and prohibition of keeping the animal to the owner who was found guilty for the offense dealing with animal welfare.

15. Animal welfare in school subjects​: Education and upbringing that is closely connected to animal welfare, has become a part of preschool programme, as well as the part of selected subjects in primary school – biology, nature keepers, and civic education (2005-2010).

16. The First Resolution on the Protection of Animals in Serbia and Montenegro.(ORCA, 2005) ) is the first document in Serbia to comprehensively point out the problems in the field of animal protection, analyze them and prioritize them in relation to “social maturity”. Through a series of specific recommendations, this act suggested ways in which animal protection in our country could be improved.

17.. Legal counseling: Over 27500 citizens have been informed and counseled thanks to ORCA Legal counseling office, e-mail, and info phone. Over 1000 criminal charges dealing with animal abuse have been issued (2000-2011). Thanks to our Legal Counseling Office, we help citizens to provide animal welfare in Serbia.

18. Coordination Team for Enforcing Regulations in the Field of Animal Welfare was established in 2009, thanks to our initiative. The team members were representatives of all respectable authorities. The administrative work was done by ORCA. Representatives were dedicated to identifying problems in their work and creating mutual proposals for problem solutions and efficient implementation of the Animal Welfare Act in the Republic of Serbia.

19. ORkidCA workshops​: Over 8000 children visited OrkidCA workshops, that were dedicated to respect, care and responsibility towards animals and nature.