Wild bird treatment and rehabilitation is being threatened in Latvia!

The only organization in Latvia that is treating injured and ill wild birds, "Drauga Sparns" ("Friend's Wing") is a non-profit organization-Aid for Latvian Wild Birds that is struggling to provide aid due to rules and regulations from the local government. Their work and more than 200 birds that currently are in their care are at risk.

As the Latvian animal protection law (Article 39) determines– the local government is responsible for ill and injured wildlife, and they must organize their help and treatment. However, there are no other official organizations or institutions that would provide these services, and the local government does nothing to treat the wild birds in distress. Instead, the only help the veterinary clinics and animal shelters in Latvia are currently able to provide to wild birds is euthanasia.

We have tried to find support in the Jurmala City municipality for the activities of “DRAUGA SPĀRNS”. The local government has not only shown no understanding and support to the work we do, but is doing the opposite, trying to cease the activities of "DRAUGA SPĀRNS" with numerous rules and regulations.

“DRAUGA SPĀRNS” is funded only from private resources and operates in the territory of a private home in the city of Jurmala. According to the new regulations of territorial planning in Jurmala city municipality, starting 2016 it is illegal to preserve wild birds in living area, and with no other place to physically move the birds at the moment, it means- from the 5th of January, 2018 there is going to be no organization in Latvia helping injured and ill wild birds.

In a meeting with Jurmala city council in May 2017, the council stated that their solution to the situation would be financing the euthanasia of the 200 birds.

We are asking for your help to draw attention to this situation in order for local and international authorities to allow and help us treat and rehabilitate wild birds in Latvia- as the law states.

More info below:

https://www.facebook.com/DraugaSparns/posts/2129270147303978