Humane dog Humane dog management: can management: can

you save everything?you save everything?

The emotional pull of dogs The emotional pull of dogs • This is what gets us started This is what gets us started

The emotional pull of dogs The emotional pull of dogs

• This is where we want to be This is where we want to be

The emotional pull of dogs The emotional pull of dogs

• But we can end up in the wrong place But we can end up in the wrong place

An overview of the An overview of the problemproblem

Poor and not improving

Good

Improving

Trends in stray dogs in 30 Trends in stray dogs in 30 European countries 2002-7European countries 2002-7

No problem

stays the same

increasing

decreasing

no information

What to do about the present What to do about the present stray dog population?stray dog population?

• Humane capture, collection and Humane capture, collection and keepingkeeping

• Shelters or release on the streets?Shelters or release on the streets?

Caught

culled

Catch and kill

CNR

Not known

ProblemsProblems

• Lack of objective data Lack of objective data • Lack of harmonised legislationLack of harmonised legislation• Everyone is an expertEveryone is an expert• Not important for governmentNot important for government

• We are not social animalsWe are not social animals

Understand the problemUnderstand the problem

• Understand your limits Understand your limits • Understand your partnersUnderstand your partners• Understand the dog issue: numbers, Understand the dog issue: numbers,

origin, contextorigin, context

Factors influencing dog Factors influencing dog population managementpopulation management

• Human attitudes especially neutering Human attitudes especially neutering • Where are the dogs coming from - they Where are the dogs coming from - they

are not breeding!are not breeding!• So tackle the source - is neutering best?So tackle the source - is neutering best?

DATA COLLECTION DATA COLLECTION AND ASSESSMENTAND ASSESSMENT

How many roaming dogs are there?How many roaming dogs are there?Where are they coming from?Where are they coming from?

What welfare issues do they face?What welfare issues do they face?What problems are they causing?What problems are they causing?

What is currently being done?What is currently being done?Who are the stakeholders?Who are the stakeholders?

How many dogs do you have to How many dogs do you have to neuter?neuter?

Good newsGood news

• 87% of countries have legislation87% of countries have legislation• 70% of countries prohibit 70% of countries prohibit

abandonmentabandonment• 50% restrict selling and breeding 50% restrict selling and breeding

of dogsof dogs• there are global standards on there are global standards on

humane dog control humane dog control

Two approachesTwo approaches

• No kill: Catch Neuter No kill: Catch Neuter

releaserelease

• Advantages: No killAdvantages: No kill

• Disadvantages: doesn’t Disadvantages: doesn’t

stop the problem, still stop the problem, still

have noise, pollution; have noise, pollution;

abandonement is illegal abandonement is illegal

in Europein Europe

• Allow euthanasiaAllow euthanasia

• Shelter and adoptionShelter and adoption

• Advantages: teaches Advantages: teaches

RPO, takes animals off RPO, takes animals off

the streetsthe streets

• Disadvantages: adoption Disadvantages: adoption

not known; overcrowding, not known; overcrowding,

poor euthanasia and poor euthanasia and

standardsstandards

How you can helpHow you can help• Education Education

• LegislationLegislation

• Registration, identificationRegistration, identification

• SterilisationSterilisation

• Holding facilities/Holding facilities/

• Rehoming centresRehoming centres

• EuthanasiaEuthanasia

• Vaccination, treatmentVaccination, treatment

How organisations can How organisations can helphelp

• Animal welfare organisations are Animal welfare organisations are working on the ground so have working on the ground so have experience and dataexperience and data

• Local authorities need to implementLocal authorities need to implement• Veterinarians need to neuter and Veterinarians need to neuter and

chipchip

How organisations can helpHow organisations can help

• Advice - standardsAdvice - standards• training catcherstraining catchers• applying OIE standardsapplying OIE standards

SolutionsSolutions

• Assess problem: good dataAssess problem: good data• Legislation and enforce legislationLegislation and enforce legislation• Set standards: train catchers, Set standards: train catchers,

shelter personnelshelter personnel• Set up stakeholder committeeSet up stakeholder committee• Undertake responsible pet Undertake responsible pet

ownership workownership work

Solutions 2Solutions 2Responsible pet Responsible pet

ownershipownership• Reduce supply of dogs: dog Reduce supply of dogs: dog

breeding, pet sellingbreeding, pet selling• Abandonement made illegalAbandonement made illegal• Educate: standards on keepingEducate: standards on keeping• Registration and identificationRegistration and identification• Encourage neutering: work withEncourage neutering: work with

vetsvets

FutureFuture

• OIE standards agreed Europe and Asia OIE standards agreed Europe and Asia have plan to implement themhave plan to implement them

• Pressure to do humane methods will Pressure to do humane methods will increaseincrease

• Abandoning animals will no longer be Abandoning animals will no longer be toleratedtolerated

• Public will become more educatedPublic will become more educated

• Ngos become more relevantNgos become more relevant

Thank youInternational Companion Animal Management