Companion Animal Issues: Member Societies Session

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Companion Animal Issues Member Societies Session

• Ray Butcher / Elly Hiby
• WSPA Symposium - June 2006

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The problem

• WHO estimates dog population worldwide is 10
  that of human population.
• Of these 75 can be regarded as strays.

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Human / animal bond A special relationship with
dogs
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Problems associated with stray dogs (and cats)

• Direct physical injury to humans, their pets or
  livestock, and wildlife.
• Indirect injury as a result of road traffic
  accidents
• Reservoir of disease to humans and their pets
• Pollution from faeces, urine etc
• General nuisance - noise

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Added pressure in Rabies endemic areas
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Common response of Municipalities Mass Slaughter

• Often inhumane methods
• Promotes inhumanity as the norm
• Indiscriminate
• Risks to pets and humans
• Alienates sections of society
• Ignores some stakeholders
• Ineffective

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WHO / WSPA Guidelines 1990 The framework
protocol

• Legislation
• Registration and identification
• Garbage control
• Neutering owned animals
• Neutering community owned animals
• Control of breeders / sales outlets
• Education

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Lessons

• Accurately assess the nature of the problem in
  the particular locality
• Devise an agreed strategy with all stakeholders
• Agree on criteria on which strategy will be judged

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What is your experience?
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What is your experience?Any Failures?

• Lack of resources?
• Lack of expertise?
• Lack of influence over other stakeholders?
• Lack of will

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Target

• Our aim To significantly reduce the number of
  stray dogs
• Reality limited funds, time, expertise, will
  power
• Target resources biggest impact
• What is the target?

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5000

• Collect 50 of the sickest street dogs and
  shelter/re-home over 150 days
• Sterilise and release 250 street dogs
• Sterilise 250 owned dogs and educate owners
• Carry out RPO education in 10 schools
• Something else

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Neutering target
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Neutering target

• Owned sub-adult female
• Not responsibly owned, but well resourced
• 2 litters per year
• 4/6 puppies live
• 1 stays at home
• 1 given away
• 2 disperse to the street
• 7 year life span
• 28 stray dogs

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Neutering target

• Street sub-adult female
• Competes for scare resources
• 1 litters per year
• 1/6 puppies live
• 1 disperses to the street
• 4 year life span
• 4 stray dogs

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Neutering target

• Your target will inform your implementation

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How to use resources effectively

• Take the time to objectively assess the problem
  we are faced with
• Be realistic about the resources we have
  available
• Use our resources in a targeted way to have the
  biggest impact possible
• Monitor impact and be ready to adjust our method
  of working

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Dilemma of the animal advocate

• Should we consider killing to be an integral part
  of a population control programme?

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Killing an emotive subject
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Quality of Life

• Is there a situation where the quality of an
  animals life is below an acceptable level such
  that euthanasia is the preferred course of action
  in the interest of the animal itself?

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Quality of Life

• Is a poor quality of life equivalent to actual
  suffering?

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Euthanasia

• The method chosen should avoid as far as possible
  any actions which might increase anxiety and
  awareness of the unusual. The animal must pass
  rapidly into a state of unconsciousness

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No Kill Policy

• The moral ideal given limitless resources of
  space manpower and money
• Unrealistic in many practical situations
• May lead to further suffering as a direct result
• Shelter policy must be realistic

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Realities of No Kill and limited finance

• Relative overcrowding in poorly constructed and
  maintained facilities
• Poor hygiene and sanitation
• Reduced and unbalanced nutrition
• Lack of prophylactic medications
• Inability to quarantine or isolate
• Lack therapeutic medications

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Factors predisposing to the outbreak of
infectious enteric disease

• Overcrowding
• Poor hygiene and sanitation
• Continued contact exposure to infected animals
• Poor nutrition
• Inter-current disease

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The new arrival what should be done?
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Classification of dog potentially entering a
shelter

• Dangerous to human health
• Dangerous to the health of other dogs in shelter
• Severe injury, disease that cannot be treated
• Severe injury or disease that can be treated but
  at high cost
• Minor injury or disease
• Behaviour problems
• Healthy with no apparent problems

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Management policy decisions

• What is the realistic capacity of the shelter?
• What happens if this capacity is exceeded?
• If selective culling is performed what are the
  criteria for choice?
• What is the role of the Shelter?

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The role of animal shelters The Practical
reality

• To keep lost pets for a sufficient time to allow
  collection by owners
• To keep strays to enable them to be re-homed
• To keep strays for a temporary period as part of
  neuter and release programmes

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No Kill Policy

• The moral ideal
• Must work in the real world not suitable in all
  situations
• However if we have an effective agreed strategy,
  we can work towards this goal

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WHO / WSPA Guidelines 1990 The framework
protocol

• Legislation
• Registration and identification
• Garbage control
• Neutering owned animals
• Neutering community owned animals
• Control of breeders / sales outlets
• Education

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