Klekusiowo Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center in Tomaszów Bolesławiecki:

A true private fiefdom!

After recent events, this is exactly the impression I have: officials whose responsibilities include dealing with homeless animals behave as if they treated the positions they hold as their own private fiefdom.

But let’s start from the beginning.

I received a call asking for help concerning a dog wandering around the village of Raciborowice. The dog had been waiting for help for several weeks. I explained that in such cases one should contact the municipality in whose area the dog is staying. After all, it is the municipality’s responsibility! The woman who reported the dog to me said that she had already tried to intervene several times, but without result. There were dozens of excuses: either it was impossible to catch the dog, or there was no one to deal with it.
I actually spent several days driving after the dog; it was very frightened. It would not let anyone approach it, even within several dozen meters. The only option left was to euthanize the dog using a projectile. But the question is, who will pay for that? Our center has no agreement signed with any municipality and receives no subsidies from public offices, so this needs to be resolved somehow. Despite this, I agreed to help—I felt very sorry for the dog...

The woman who reported the dog informed the municipality that this was the plan. What did she hear? “I won’t let Żuraw make money.”

Let us remind you: caring for homeless animals is the municipalities’ responsibility! We are a nonprofit organization. We can help, but we do not have to. We support ourselves through donations and can help animals only thanks to people’s support, not that of public offices.

I wonder what kind of person one has to be to utter such a statement. I do not make money from animals. I have to support them, treat them and provide them with shelter. Did Mr. Bojanowski from Warta Bolesławiecka Municipality overstep his authority by placing his personal aversions above the duties arising from the position he holds? One can be an official, but sometimes it is worth being a human being too. And you know what, there will be no shortage of cats and dogs if they continue to be neutered. There is a huge overpopulation of them, and given the position you hold, you should know that. Cats are not free pest-control devices; mice will not eat us. It would be worthwhile for someone holding such a position to become better educated. Maybe it is time to change this?

Returning to the dog: I managed to catch it. It has been secured. Of course, I will not receive a single złoty from the municipality for this. Our doctor will examine the dog. I am waiting for information about its condition. I will look for a home for it. And I wish the official a pleasant day.

We asked the Municipal Office for comment. Michał Bojanowski, a representative of Warta Bolesławiecka Municipal Office, responded to the situation described on Klekusiowo’s profile. In a comment sent to the istotne.pl editorial office, he wrote:

Warta Bolesławiecka, 15 November 2022

Istotne.pl Editorial Office

In response to your request for comment on the situation you presented, I am providing the following information as part of my official duties. The first and only report concerning this dog was made by a private individual on 9 November 2022. The person reporting it was informed that, once the dog had been located and an unsuccessful attempt had been made to identify its owner or keeper, it would be reported for capture by authorized personnel from the Small Animal Shelter based in Przylasek. On the same day, a person claiming to be a member of the Bolesławieckie Koty Association raised objections to the information provided by the person handling the case, stating that the Association had already taken action by commissioning Mr. M. Żuraw to capture the dog.

During these telephone conversations, or in any other situation, there was no discussion of payment for capturing the dog, much less any statement about “letting someone make money.”

Warta Bolesławiecka Municipality fulfills its responsibilities for caring for homeless animals through the Small Homeless Animal Shelter in Przylasek, established in 2014 and jointly operated since then with fourteen other municipalities as part of the “Kwisa” Municipal Association. Reports concerning homeless animals are accepted during municipal office hours at 75 730 10 36; on non-working days and outside office hours, they should be made to the emergency number 795 414 119 or to the Police. Once a reported dog has been located or its whereabouts established, and it has been confirmed that its owner or keeper cannot be identified, it is taken to the shelter. The allegations made by the writer against the employee may be clarified in separate proceedings, certainly not administrative ones.

Yours faithfully
/person handling the case/
Michał Bojanowski
inspector for surveying and agriculture