Dog shelter in Vlora: an initiative with unjustified costs

2026-04-17 17:58:00, Aktualitet CNA

Gjergj Nika, the former candidate for the Municipality of Vlora, has opposed the initiative of the Municipality of Vlora to build a shelter for street dogs.

Nika says she voted against this initiative due to the high costs and lack of a clear financial justification.

Gjergj Nika's reaction

1 dog - 260 euros/month

Minimum pension - 107 euros/month

Economic Assistance - 35 euros/month

Feeding a child in kindergarten - 48 euros/month

Dog shelter in Vlora: an initiative with unjustified costs

The Municipality of Vlora has presented a draft decision for the establishment of a shelter for stray dogs, with a capacity of 100 dogs, which provides not only shelter, but also food, vaccination and hospitalization. As a concept, this is a positive and necessary initiative for a city that aims for higher standards in the management of public spaces and safety.

However, during the review in the relevant committees – Legal, Finance and Services – I voted against this project, due to the high costs and lack of a clear financial justification.

According to the project, for the 8-month period May–December 2026, the following expenses are foreseen:

* Salaries of 6 employees: 7,414,938 lekë. One employee including night hours reaches up to 158,000 lekë/month.

* Operating expenses: 10,455,600 lek.

* Investment in the rented premises: 8,160,000 lek.

* Rent: 2,000 euros/month

* Cages: 500 euros per dog (50,000 euros for 100 cages)

A total of 260,000 euros, and this translates to a cost of about 260 euros per month for each dog.

This figure raises serious questions about the efficiency of the use of public funds. Even taking into account all the necessary services – food, veterinary care, staff and maintenance – the cost per unit seems high and requires full transparency on how it is calculated.

At the same time, in the approved budget for 2026, the Municipality of Vlora has allocated a fund of 310,000 euros for social care for the needy and people with disabilities, or only 0.69% of the total budget.

For the same 8-month period, this amount translates to around 207,000 euros.

This creates a stark contrast in the way public funds are distributed. While:

* the minimum old-age pension is around 107 euros per month,

* economic assistance for families in need is around 35 euros,

* food for a child in a nursery or kindergarten (with lunch) is estimated at around 48 euros per month,

It turns out that for a dog, an expense of 260 euros per month is expected.

In this reality, a strong and painful question naturally arises: should citizens "bite" each other to receive the same level of treatment and dignity that is provided for animals?

This is not an issue that should be seen as a confrontation between animal care and human care. Both are important and necessary in a society that aims for higher living standards. But it is the obligation of institutions to ensure that any public funds are used with efficiency, transparency and sensitivity to social priorities./ CNA