Sample Letter to Animal Rights Organization Re: The treatment of stray animals in the Ukraine Dear Sirs, I am writing to express my concerns about the treatment of stray animals in Ukraine. Having watched video footages and read statements of witnesses, I am shocked by the acts of cruelty towards stray animals in many regions of Ukraine. Despite of new Animal protection laws signed in 2006 and 2007, the situation there did not change for the better. Animal services still use dithylinum (suxamethonium chloride), which was outlawed in Ukraine last year, a poison which paralyzes the animal and causes it to die of suffocation in a few hours of agony. There is ample evidence that the poor creatures are still conscious and feel all the pain before they die. Witnesses in Ukraine state that throughout the last year, there were numerous cases of puppies, dogs and cats being intentionally shot by hunters. Authorities of small Ukrainian communities use different kind of poison - rat poison and Isoniazidum (Tubazidum) anti-tuberculosis drug causing cheap, but very slow and painful death. I appreciate your attention to this matter. Such mistreatment of animals can in no way be counted as "humane" and I am asking for your help and trust the organisation like yours can make a difference and influence the Ukrainian government. More information is available here in English: http://www.naturewatch.org/foundation/ukraine/docs/kyiv_stray_animal_control_briefing.pdf - Barbaric Slaughter in Kiev http://www.luckylovers.net/petrescue.html http://forum.doggy.kiev.ua/viewtopic.php?t=13784&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight= - The Bloody Slaughter in Chernihiv, May 2007 in Russian: http://ntn.tv/news/ukraine/07/10/04/18/02.html - International Animal Protection Day - Slaughter in Ukraine - October 4, 2007 http://h.ua/story/45580/ - Zaporozhie April 2007 http://animalprotect.org/about/faces/market.html - Black market for animals http://kp.ua/daily/180907/10719/ - Animal cruelty non-stop 1, Septebmber 2007 http://www.kp.kiev.ua/daily/140907/10585/ - Animal cruelty non-stop 2, Septebmber 2007 http://h.ua/story/21505/ - Animal cruelty non-stop 3 http://forumspaskiev.org.ua/databox/2005/10/15001.php - Animal cruelty non-stop 4 http://politsovet.info/news/3873.html - illegal shooting Zaporozhie, May 2007 http://kp.ua/daily/061007/11676/ - illegal shooting Kharkov, October, 2007 http://www.gpu.ua/index.php?&id=151022&eid=313&lang=ru - illegal shooting Lvov, February 2007 If you need more information, you are welcome to contact 1 Kyiv Society for the Protection of Animals - SOS (SPA-SOS) +380 442294295 english and russian 2 Kiev City Society for the Protection of Animals http://animalprotect.org/ +380 44 241 0435 and +380 97 564 5907 russian only 3 Naturewatch http://www.naturewatch.org - 01242 252871 english Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address]