UEVP, the Union of European Veterinary Practitioners, and

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Florence Simon
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Date adptin : 22 nd f May 2015 PROMOTING VETERINARY LEADERSHIP IN STRAY DOG CONTROL IN EUROPE EVERY DOG DESERVES A CARING OWNER : THE VETERINARY VISION ON STRAY DOG MANAGEMENT FECAVA, the Federatin f

1 Date adptin : 22 nd f May 2015 PROMOTING VETERINARY LEADERSHIP IN STRAY DOG CONTROL IN EUROPE EVERY DOG DESERVES A CARING OWNER : THE VETERINARY VISION ON STRAY DOG MANAGEMENT FECAVA, the Federatin f Eurpean Cmpanin Animal Veterinary Assciatins, UEVP, the Unin f Eurpean Veterinary Practitiners, and FVE, the Federatin f Veterinarians f Eurpe CONSIDERING THAT: In several Eurpean regins, in urban as well as rural areas, large numbers f dgs stray freely. Althugh generally called stray dgs 1, distinct categries f dgs can be identified, such as dgs with an wner, dgs withut an wner, dgs abandned by their wner, dgs that were never wned, etc. These stray dgs can pse serius risks fr animal health and animal welfare as well as fr public health and welfare. A wide range f pathgens, influenced by regin and habitat, can be hsted, carried arund and transmitted t ther animals and t peple. Diseases that can be spread in this way vary frm relatively mild nes that might g unnticed t severe chrnic disrders (e.g. echincccsis) and fatal diseases (e.g. rabies!). 1 Stray dg: There is n statutry definitin f a stray dg. The definitin used by the OIE is: Stray dg means any dg nt under direct cntrl by a persn r nt prevented frm raming. There are three types f stray dg: - free- raming wned dg nt under direct cntrl r restrictin at a particular time; - free- raming dg with n wner; - feral dg: dmestic dg that has reverted t the wild state and is n lnger directly dependent upn humans fr successful reprductin. Page 1

2 Stray dgs can be vicius and attack ther animals including livestck, and peple. Mrever stray animals are frequently invlved in rad accidents. Animal health and welfare can be seriusly affected, directly when the stray animals themselves live under pr cnditins (e.g. hunger, chrnic skin disrders, lack f shelter, etc) and indirectly when inapprpriate dg ppulatin cntrl measures (e.g. shting, pisning, inhumane handling) are used. The health and welfare f ther animals, like sheep and gats, can be endangered by stray dgs attacking them. Varius reasns lay behind the large numbers f stray dgs. Cultural and sci- ecnmic reasns, insufficient knwledge and understanding f preventin and cntrl measures, lack f cmmunicatin and crdinatin amngst stakehlders and decisin makers and many mre play a rle. The way stray dg prblems are addressed varies a lt. At EU level there is n legal framewrk r guidelines. Decisins abut legislatin and enfrcement measures fall under the cmpetence f the Member States. In mst cuntries the issue is handled at municipality level, ften withut much crdinatin in and between municipalities. The Wrld Organisatin fr Animal Health (OIE), in Chapter 7.7 f the Terrestrial animal Health Cde 1, recgnizes the imprtance f cntrlling dg ppulatins withut causing unnecessary animal suffering and gives recmmendatins fr the preventin f zntic diseases and dg ppulatin cntrl. Evidence based knwledge and understanding f best practices in the field f dg ppulatin management is grwing but still limited. As a well educated prfessinal, bund by a prfessinal ath, wrking accrding t a prfessinal cde f cnduct and cdes f Gd Veterinary Practice, licensed and supervised by an authrity (veterinary statutry bdy), the veterinarian has an imprtant rle t play in the preventin and cntrl f stray dg prblems. In different psitins and at many levels - fr example as clinician, state fficer, plicy advisr, research wrker, teacher, etc. - veterinarians have the ability t cntribute t preventin and cntrl f stray dgs. The Eurpean veterinary prfessin, here represented by FVE, UEVP and FECAVA, cares fr animals and peple. Veterinarians cntinuusly strive t prmte the health and welfare f animals and public health. 1 as per 19 Feb 2015 Page 2

3 RECOMMEND: An integrated, cmprehensive, lng- term apprach, aiming at managing existing ppulatins and preventing new stray dgs appearing. The effectiveness 2 f such an integrated apprach largely depends n a gd crdinatin f all initiatives and measures taken. Gd cllabratin and cmmunicatin between all actrs. The integrated apprach shuld be adjusted t the lcal situatin and take int accunt cultural and scial differences. A participatry apprach f the cmmunity is indispensable. 1. Educatin n Respnsible Ownership: Preventive measures t avid new animals becming hmeless are crucial. Respnsible Ownership, such as prmted thrugh the Cardg prject 3, aims t maintain a gd level f animal health and welfare, t cntrl reprductin, t maximize physical and psychlgical benefits fr humans and the animals and t minimize the ptential risk that pets may pse t the public, ther animals, r the envirnment. Respnsible Ownership must be encuraged by educatin, incentives and/r legislatin. It shuld be cvered in natinal and Eurpean legislatin and implemented in cmbinatin with regulating the breeding and (internet - ) trade f cmpanin animals. Harmnizatin within the EU and clse cllabratin f the Member State Authrities wuld be very helpful in restricting stray animals in a cuntry. Educatin f the public - bth children and adults - abut respnsible wnership is the crnerstne. Respnsible wnership campaigns shuld becme an integral part f primary educatin, establishing a lng- term slutin t the prblem, where ideally n shelters are needed and all cmpanin animals are lked after by a caring wner. Educatin shuld take accunt f cultural differences. 2. Mandatry permanent identificatin and mandatry registratin Mandatry permanent identificatin and mandatry registratin f all dgs in Eurpe is essential when it cmes t cntrl f the dg ppulatin. There is a need fr a central database r t imprve the exchange f infrmatin between existing databases. At the present time, the use f transpnders ffers the mst advantages fr a pan- Eurpean system and therefre micrchipping shuld the methd f chice. 2 ICAM guidance dcument A Guide t Mnitring and Evaluating Dg Ppulatin Management Interventins Are we making a difference 3 Page 3

4 3. Ensure health status f hmeless animals Vaccinatin against fr example rabies and ther imprtant diseases, as well as anti- parasitic treatment f all animals, fr example against echincccsis shuld be ensured; this is an integral part f the respnsible wnership principles. Authrities shuld guarantee the health f the public and ther dmestic animals thrugh the implementatin f health plans fr stray dgs apprpriate t the disease situatin in the area. 4. Ensure minimum quality standards fr shelters All shelters shuld be at r abve the minimum standards (see Shelter Quality 4 ) and be registered and inspected n a regular basis by the cmpetent authrity. Staff and vlunteers wrking with the animals shuld be sufficiently trained t fulfill their tasks prperly and withut risks fr the animals r themselves. Shelters shuld have a cntract with a veterinary practitiner fr the prvisin f veterinary advise, and regular care t the animals in the shelter. Dgs and cats entering shelters shuld receive a health examinatin, they shuld have a transpnder implanted, be sterilized, receive an anti- parasitic treatment and be vaccinated against pathgens which are f relevance in the regin. In cases where the health and welfare f the animal, ther animals r peple is severely cmprmised, euthanasia must be cnsidered, fr example in a case f severe zntic r ther risks, r when it is impssible t assure the health and welfare f the animal and t prvide it with a minimum quality f life (examples are rabies, inapprpriate aggressin, incurable diseases, lng term retentin in inapprpriate facilities etc.). Euthanasia shuld be perfrmed by a veterinarian and in line with internatinally accepted guidelines such as the Wrld Animal Prtectin s Methds fr the euthanasia f dgs and cats: cmparisn and recmmendatins 5 5. Adptin Adptin f dgs within a cuntry shuld be facilitated and prmted. Care needs t be taken with crss brder adptin. Seeing the ptential fr spread f zntic, ther infectius and/r parasitic diseases and behaviur prblems it shuld be avided r surrunded by sufficient health guarantees and nly be dne under veterinary supervisin with full cmpliance t the Pet Passprt scheme 6. A risk analysis n the zntic, and animal health and behaviural implicatins shuld be made befre any crss- brder rehming. 4 Shelter Quality, Welfare Assessment prtcl fr shelter animals, S. Barnard, C. Pedernera, A. Velarde, P. Dalla Villa 5 calitin.rg/dwnlads/methds%20fr%20the%20euthanasia%20f%20dgs%20and%20cats- %20English.pdf 6 regulatin_ _en.htm Page 4

5 6. Trap, neuter, vaccinate and release In the initial stages f a dg ppulatin management prgram r where shelter capacity fr stray animals is limited, the emplyment f temprary cntrl measures that prevent ppulatin grwth can be cnsidered. Trap- neuter- vaccinate- release is a prgram that has been used successfully in certain regins, but might nt wrk fr ther areas. It shuld always be cnsidered in relatin t the lcal situatin and measured fr effectiveness 7. The animals shuld be caught in a humane way by trained and caring prfessinals. Veterinary surgens shuld examine, vaccinate and neuter the animals with minimal stress and by using prper anaesthesia and analgesia prtcls. The animals shuld nly be released when sufficiently recvered frm the prcedure. Care must be taken nt t create a welfare prblem during the prgram. CALL UPON:! Veterinary Organisatins in Eurpe t engage and t be actively invlved in slving the stray dg prblem t play an active rle in disease surveillance because private practitiners might be the first t see a dg suffering frm a ntifiable disease such as rabies. t enhance cmmunicatin with ther parties invlved t participate in educatin and awareness campaigns and t prmte respnsible pet wnership t be alert fr animal cruelty and pssible cases f neglect t raise their vice against dg ppulatin management measures and ther initiatives that wuld endanger animal health and welfare! Pliticians, legislatrs and administratrs t prvide sufficient means and resurces necessary fr prmting respnsible wnership and t ensure sustainable dg ppulatin management fr example by funding neutering prgrams. t put relevant legislatin in place, such as mandatry identificatin and registratin f all dgs t set up effective cntrl and enfrcement measures in particular against illegal dg trade and cruelty t avid unsustainable ad hc measures, especially thse which g against the welfare f animals (use f inhuman traps, shting, pisning) t ensure minimum standards and regular inspectins f shelters t cllabrate n a reginal basis and t share best practices 7 Refer t H. Bacn assessment prtcl TNR Page 5

6 at EU level t cme frward with a Cmmunity Animal Welfare Law, which includes cmpanin animal issues! Dg wners and breeders t btain and keep their animals as a respnsible wner t have their dgs identified and registered t prevent uncntrlled breeding f dgs! Educatrs and researchers t prmte respnsible pet wnership t make peple, beginning with children, aware f risks assciated with stray dgs and teach them hw t avid these risks 9 t prvide further science based recmmendatins fr dg ppulatin management! Nn Gvernmental Organisatins (NGOs) t partner with veterinary services and veterinarians in cntributing t public awareness and understanding f the reasns fr the grwth f and the need t cntrl dg ppulatins as well as in educating the public in respnsible dg wnership t cntribute t btaining resurces t cntribute in a practical way t the design and successful implementatin f dg cntrl prgrammes t supply lcal knwledge n dg ppulatins and features f wnership, as well as expertise in handling and kennelling dgs and the implementatin f sterilisatin prgrammes. 9 Fr example The Blue Dg Prject: Page 6

7 Further reading " FECAVA: Federatin f Eurpean Cmpanin Animal Veterinary Assciatins " FVE: Federatin f Veterinarians f Eurpe " Humane dg ppulatin management guidance Internatinal Cmpanin Animal Management Calitin. " Schl educatin " CALLISTO Strategy reprt II Cycle " Guidelines fr Standards f Care in Animal Shelters The Assciatin f Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) " Shelter Quality: Welfare Assessment Prtcl fr Shelter Dgs " Pesavent PA 1 et all (2014) Cmmn and emerging infectius diseases in the animal shelter. Vet Pathl Mar; 51 (2): di: / Epub 2013 Nv 21. " Cleaveland S et all (2014) The changing landscape f rabies epidemilgy and cntrl. " Ondersteprt J Vet Res Apr 23;81 (2):E1-8. di: /jvr.v81i " Rupprecht CE et al, Cntrl and preventin f rabies in animals: paradigm shifts. Dev Bil (Basel). 2006; 125: " Cuncil f Eurpe Eurpean Cnventin fr the Prtectin f Pet Animals " OIE guidelines n stray dg ppulatin cntrl " Eurpean Cmmissin cnclusins first Eurpean cnference n cmpanin animals Page 7

5.1. What do we need to know before we start planning a canine rabies control programme?

5.1. What do we need to know before we start planning a canine rabies control programme? 5.1. What d we need t knw befre we start planning a canine rabies cntrl prgramme? Yu need t knw abut: The epidemilgy f rabies in yur area The reservir species in yur area Hw rabies is transmitted. This