What to do if you find poison

You have spotted poison or something that looks like it

1. Do not touch it. Keep animals and children away.
2. Take a photo and note the exact spot.
3. Call the police and wait for them to come.
4. Call the environmental inspection. They notify the communal inspection, which marks off the area and calls Ciklonizacija to remove the poison.
5. A few days later, check whether the police have written a record.
6. Mark the place on the map so that others know where it is dangerous.

You have found a dead animal

1. Call the police. The police call the veterinary inspection and write a report, and the veterinary inspection notifies the prosecutor and files a complaint.
2. Remind the police that killing animals is a crime under Article 269 of the Criminal Code.
3. Do not let anyone take the body away before the record is made. Without the body there is no case.

• If the dog had an owner, the owner pays for the autopsy. Ask a vet about the procedure.
• If the dog was a stray, its legal owner is the city company JKP “Zoohigijena i veterina Novi Sad”, and the city pays for the autopsy. Calling Zoohigijena alone is not enough, because they may take the body without following the procedure. Call the police as well and insist that they call the veterinary inspection.

What happens after a report

Scattering poison in a public place is causing general danger under Article 278 of the Criminal Code. It is prosecuted ex officio, so the police should notify the prosecutor.

The prosecutor can order a review of security camera footage and ask neighbours whether they noticed anything suspicious. If there is enough evidence, the case goes to court.

Penalties: causing general danger carries six months to five years in prison and a fine, or one to eight years where many people gather (Article 278). Killing or abusing animals carries a fine or up to two years, or up to three years if several animals are harmed (Article 269).

Text of the Serbian Criminal Code ↗