Here is the most recent information from the Sopron, Hungary dogs rescued from the man known as the “Dog Mengele.”

Please see the previous posts on this subject or the listed websites for more information on this tragic case.

Dear Animal Rights Supporters,

Unfortunately I cannot give you good news, the dogs rescued from Sopron can still not be adopted, but we are hoping that there will be a positive verdict at the next court hearing on 18th September 2006. (Joy’s note — we have no subsequent information at this time.)

There is a circular letter going around the world according to which the reason the case is not making progress is because the lawyer is asking for too much money! This information is totally false! After proceedings by the police it was the prosecutors office who charged the defendant, therefore they are carrying the case. Dr Gyrgy Magyar, attorney, cannot participate in the case, therefore he does not charge fees and, as we have stated in our previous letter, neither he, nor we have any influence on the work of the prosecutor.

We are trying to achieve that the loopholes in the law should be ironed out. For example the owner of the dogs claims he did not torture the dogs because he fed them … this is the subject of the Court procedures; to prove that he is or is not a torturer (this is why the dogs cannot be rehomed for the past 7 months). According to Hungarian lawmakers this is not cruelty! This is where we stand towards the end of 2006 as far as the laws are concerned…

We ask for your help and support, perhaps through writing letters, in order to achieve that the Animal Rights Inspectors appointed in each County of Hungary by the Mininstry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cases such as these should act with the force of law.

The future would be that if someone sees any form of cruelty to an animal they can report it to these amimal rights inspectors who in turn can establish whether there is a case of torture or cruelty. If yes, they can terminate ownership of the animals and the confiscated animals can immediately be neutered and rehomed. Thus they would not have to wait long months at various shelters until the Courts decide if there has been cruelty, all the more since this burdens the shelters with lots of excess costs. These inspectors of course would be supported and helped in their work by animal rights activists.
Perhaps this way people would think twice before torturing their animals!

Unfortunately in case of the the Sopron mudis in our opinion multiple cruelty can be established as a consequence of inappropriate keeping of the dogs.

We hope that the competent persons at the Ministry also think in this way and will help us in resolving the matter. Hopefully there will be a working scenario for cases like these and they cannot say that the poor animal should suffer longer because they don’t know what to do with it…

In August 2006 another 1 million forints were distributed among the shelters from your donations, and we sincerely thank you for that in the name of all the dogs!

We are hoping for the best as concerns the outcome of this hearing, and until then let us as through letters for the help of Mr Mikls Sth, Head of Department of the Main Department for Animal Health and Food Safety in this case so that we can show them that we are many who are concerned with the fate of these dogs. We would not like the word to spread around the world that in Hungary someone who keeps hundreds of dogs chained, with no water and fed with swill is not an animal torturer…
(Fldmvelsgyi s Vidkfejlesztsi Minisztrium, 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tr 11., Postal Address: 1860 Budapest, 55. Pf. 1., AllategeszsegugyiFO@fvm.hu )

The shelters are providing continuous information about the condition of the dogs, you can find pictures on a number of websites and volunteers are also visiting and reporting on their experience! Here is a link to one of those sites.

We please ask everyone, that before any information is spread around the world it should be verified by any of the coordinators below who can provide authentic information:
Jzsef rkosi : info@dogheart.hu
Pter Kis (donations): kp117@t-online.hu
Krisztina Petrus (international): info@ebugatta.hu