and Registration Companion Animal Responsible Ownership Focus on examples promoting Responsible Ownership

Transcription

1 CAROmag Companion Animal Responsible Ownership Focus on examples promoting Responsible Ownership Dogs Holidays in France with your dog: the 30 Million d Amis Summer kit Cats Cat population in Spain: the Cat Manifesto SPECIAL FOCUS Identification and Registration The reasons why it is necessary, 10 commandments for governments, key requirements for a secure and compatible system, interviews with relevant stakeholders, overview of German speaking European countries databases / CAROmag Second Semester 2015

2 IMPRINT CONTENTS EDITORIAL STAFF: Pierre Sultana, Sophie Duthoit, Marlene Wartenberg, Adolfo Sansolini, Agnès Dufau PUBLISHER AND PRINTING: Pierre Sultana, Director VIER PFOTEN/FOUR PAWS, European Policy Office, Av. de la Renaissance 19, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium / CREDITS: VIER PFOTEN/FOUR PAWS: Stray cat (cover), Andrea Stanzl (p.2), Moe Hojo (p.5), G. Nedelcu (p.6), Mihai Vasile (p.2, p.8, p.9, back page), Ruxandra Stoica (p.12), Daniela Klemencic (p.2, p.13), PFOTENHILFE, Andrea Stanzl (cover), Jacques Grimanelli (p.3), Fondation 30 Millions d Amis (p.4), FVE (p.6, p.7), WSAVA, Implantation sites (p.6), FlatIcon in Interface, Cat vector designed by Freepik (p.15), FECAVA, Dr Monique Megens (p.10), Planet ID, Dr Sven Hüther (p.10), EuroPetNet, Dr. Michel Schoffeniels (p.10), Wikipedia, Flags (p.11) 3 EDITORIAL By Jacques Grimanelli 4 FOCUS ON PROMOTING DOG RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP The Animal Summer Kit of the French NGO 30 Millions d amis 5-11 SPECIAL FOCUS: IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION Reasons why it is necessary The 10 commandments for governments Key requirements for a secure and compatible system Abstracts of interviews with prominent stakeholders Overview of German speaking countries databases PRESS REVIEW Latest news on dogs and cats 14 FOCUS ON PROMOTING CAT RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP The Spanish Cat Manifesto 15 UPCOMING EVENTS: Conferences and events Dog/cat days

3 EDITORIAL BY JACQUES GRIMANELLI FORMER PRESIDENT OF EUROPETNET We asked Jacques Grimanelli to write the first Editorial, because Jacques has been a pionneer of I&R in Europe as an active member of the Board, and later President of Europetnet, and he remains one of the experts with the deepest knowledge of this important issue. We wish to thank Jacques both for his constant commitment to animal welfare and for agreeing to be our first editorialist. EDITORIAL Europetnet started more than 15 years ago with a modest voluntary lost-and-found service, which was used only by a few responsible pet owners. It involved identification and registration. It is now proposing an EU-wide traceability system for all movements of pets in Europe. This results from a long process of piecing together a puzzle of bringing together technical concepts, members joining the organisation and important partners. The founders as well as the present administrators share common animal protection values. Bringing together technical concepts Identification existed millions of years ago: dogs had names and were cared for, like now. Registration was invented more recently to regulate land property, movements of people and goods. Dogs were registered even more recently, purely for administrative purposes: pedigrees, health and security risks. Animal welfare is the newest and most civilised idea: it is not only owned pets or cattle that should be protected, but all animals under human supervision. Traceability is an advanced technical concept used very successfully to regulate movements of live animals and food of animal origin in Europe. It is now essential for many other services, such as public security, public health and trade regulations. It requires reliable identification and registration, managed with stateof-the-art databases and IT systems. Bringing together members from all over Europe Europetnet can serve animal protection projects all over Europe because it is available for all pets in Europe from birth to death, operating from 55 Europetnet member databases across 22 European countries. There are 71 million pets registered. Promoting ideas and values with important partners Because animal welfare is a new idea, it needs to be promoted by opinion leaders and be advocated to lawmakers. International organisations, including ICI and FVE, have promoted I&R at the European level as an essential tool for most animal welfare projects. With VIER PFOTEN an essential milestone has been achieved: the written declaration signed by more than 50% of Members of the European Parliament. CARO is now an important partner, providing high-quality information, as well as organising conferences and seminars. A few last pieces to complete the puzzle It is urgent to complete the puzzle and make all movements and changes of pet owners traceable in Europe. This is necessary to fight such growing problems as puppy trafficking, abandonment and the suffering of stray animals. The last pieces include at least mandatory I&R in all EU countries, mandatory registration of all identifications, and qualified and registered implanters. This is easy and cheap to implement because most responsible breeders and owners already do it. CAROmag

4 CARODOG FOCUS ON PROMOTING DOG RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP THE ANIMAL SUMMER KIT OF THE FRENCH ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATION 30 MILLIONS D AMIS Every year, it is estimated that 60,000 dogs and cats are abandoned in France. To sensitise children and adults to this issue and to prevent abandonments during the summer holidays, the French NGO 30 Millions d Amis is offering a free kit every summer called Vacances Pas Bêtes. ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO ON HOLIDAY WITH THEIR DOGS 30 Millions d Amis is providing a database of more than 20,000 hotels, holiday camps, campsites, bed and breakfasts, etc. in France that accept animals, especially dogs. You can locate these places easily thanks to an online search engine and an interactive map of France. The organisation has also created an app for smartphones that can geolocate you and help you to find the closest animal-friendly places to your location. OFFERING DOG-SITTING AND DOG-BOARDING SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN T GO ON HOLIDAY WITH THEIR AN- IMALS The 30 Millions d Amis foundation has also created a free online support network where participants can offer free pet-sitting services. The goal of this network is to help animal owners in the same city or region to get in touch with each other, so they can pet-sit each other s animals when they go away on holiday. THE SUMMER KIT ALSO INCLUDES: A booklet with a list of beaches where animals are accepted and some tips on travelling with animals Postcards on responsible ownership An activity booklet for children on responsible ownership Car stickers to alert firefighters and the police in the event of a car crash that an animal is inside the vehicle

5 INTRODUCTION TO THE SPE- CIAL FOCUS #IRFOCUS THE CARO WEBSITES WILL FOCUS ON I&R FROM JULY 2015 TO DECEMBER 2015 SPECIAL FOCUS Forming the basis of a sustainable solution strategy, it presents the views and experience of individual experts and organisations that have been actively working on the I&R front, and includes the work conducted over the last four years by the CARO EU Traceability Experts Group. With the aim of pointing out concrete ways forward, the CARO websites have dedicated their Special Focus section from July to December 2015 to sharing I&R-related information. Since its early days, the CARO project has actively sought to promote responsible dog and cat ownership. It has pioneered this issue in the EU by identifying its key elements, which include personal commitment on the part of individual pet owners and legislative action at the Member State and European level, together with public information and education campaigns and systematic birth control. On the legislative front, mandatory I&R of companion animals has been singled out as a fundamental tool to promote companion animal welfare. EU-wide I&R would have numerous positive effects: helping to reunite lost or stolen pets with their families; combating illegal breeding activities, which cause immense animal suffering and countless deaths; preventing abandonment of pets and overpopulation of strays; and detecting possible sources of epidemics and other health risks. Some politicians, at all levels, have tried to argue that such a Europe-wide system is not feasible. However, it is a realistic goal, as has been demonstrated by the CARO EU Traceability Experts Group and in many conferences, workshops and seminars. We hope that sharing this i n formation will help to generate the political will within the EU institutions to establish an EU-wide harmonised I&R system, which would help millions of animals and the families they live with. THE CARO EU TRACEABILITY EXPERTS GROUP The work of the Experts Group has been one of the main activities through which the CARO project has transformed information contributed by key experts and organisations into concrete political proposals. The group has been established by FOUR PAWS in partnership with the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), the Istituto G.Caporale Teramo, the EU Commission, TASSO, Planet ID, Euro- PetNet and the Belgian Health Ministry. Each year, the experts have underlined the urgent need for mandatory EU Identification and Registration as the only way to ensure that each animal is responsibly managed. The Experts Group is available for consultation, and will continue to work out a practicable European proposal that is also applicable at the national level. The EU Traceability Expert Group during its 3rd meeting, Brussels, 2013 CAROmag

6 SPECIAL FOCUS THE REASONS WHY I&R OF ALL DOGS AND CATS IS NEC- ESSARY RESPONSIBILITY It reduces cases of abandonment and mistreatment because the owner can be identified and fined. TRACEABILITY AND DISEASE PREVENTION It enables traceability and so limits the spread of diseases. POPULATION MANAGEMENT It enables better control of animal population numbers, allowing an informed and proportionate response to the risks that may arise from overpopulation. CONSUMER PROTECTION It helps to protect consumers by informing them of the real origins of animals being offered for sale. It therefore reduces illegal trade. REUNITES LOST PETS AND OWNERS It helps to identify quickly the owner and therefore avoid the stressful sheltering of the animal.

7 MICROCHIPPING AND REGISTERING YOUR PET THE MOST RELIABLE WAY TO REUNITE YOU AND YOUR BEST FRIEND By Aurelie Van Heyghen (right) and Nancy De Briyne (left) How sad it is that every year so many cats and dogs go missing. Some of them are found and handed in to a pet rescue centre, which then searches for the pet s owner. If the animal is not carrying a microchip, in most cases the owner s contact details are impossible to find. The lucky ones are adopted by new owners, but some are euthanised. Fig. A Close-up of a pet microchip (left), and compared to a grain of rice (right). Fig. B Implantation sites (according to WSAVA guidelines) As a pet owner, you never want to experience the tragedy of losing your beloved pet forever, so microchipping your cat or dog is a must. Having your animal microchipped greatly increases your pet s chances of finding its way home if lost or stolen. Unlike dog tags and collars, which can fall off or simply be removed, microchipping is a permanent means of identifying your pet for life. A microchip is a tiny capsule about the size of a grain of rice (Fig. A). It is administered just under the skin between the shoulders or in the left side of the neck (Fig. B). Microchipping is no more uncomfortable than a vaccination. It is performed by veterinarians (or in some European countries, such as the UK, by certified implanters) during a veterinary consultation or just before the animal is acquired, purchased or adopted by a new owner. A microchip contains a unique, locked, 15-digit identification number. This number can be read by a microchip scanner, which is available in all animal shelters, police stations and veterinary practices. The microchip itself has no internal power source and is read by passing the scanner over the pet s shoulders. This delivers enough power to read and receive the ID number (Fig. C). Fig. C Examples of barcode stickers with the pet s unique, locked identification number. These stickers are placed in the pet s passport or vaccination booklet. Once the animal is microchipped, a barcode sticker with the ID number is placed in the pet s passport (Fig. D) and/or vaccination booklet by the vet or certified implanter. Consequently, any health information about your pet (e.g. vaccination, deworming, flea and tick checks) is also entered in the pet passport and can be monitored and checked, especially during a veterinary consultation, medical check-up or even at a border crossing. Besides microchipping, it is very important that you register your pet s identification number, as this is the only means of contacting you if your pet is lost. The registration links your pet s ID number with your contact details, including a brief description of the animal (species, breed, date of birth, sex, neuter/castration status). If your pet goes missing, any veterinary practice, animal shelter or police station will then be able to find your contact details registered under the pet s microchip ID. These professionals are the only people who have access to your contact details. Please also remember that you must keep your contact details up to date (postal address, phone number, ). If you do not, then the microchip and registration become useless. If your phone number, address or changes, it is very important that you inform your vet or contact the pet registration database directly. Pet microchipping and registration are the ideal solutions to bring you peace of mind. Pet owners never regret doing it but if their pets are lost, they regret not doing it forever! If you have any questions about microchipping and/or registering a pet, feel free to contact your veterinarian. Fig. D: Pet passport CAROmag SPECIAL FOCUS

8 SPECIAL FOCUS COMPANION ANIMAL RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR GOVERNMENTS Responsible ownership is a duty of care based on the principle that animals are sentient beings having intrinsic value, are dependent on humans for their health and welfare and are part of the ecosystem (...). Callisto Project, Second Strategy Report 2nd Cycle FIRST COMMANDMENT National governments must demonstrate the political will to comply with Art 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). SECOND COMMANDMENT Specific and detailed legislation on companion animals must be introduced in the light of the principle of Art 13. THIRD COMMANDMENT The public must be provided with information about responsible ownership of dogs and cats. FOURTH COMMANDMENT Children must be educated at school about responsible ownership. FIFTH COMMANDMENT All relevant professionals must acquire adequate knowledge of responsible ownership and put it into practice. SIXTH COMMANDMENT A national Action Plan on Animal Welfare must be introduced, clearly specifying responsibilities, long-term policies and concrete projects. SEVENTH COMMANDMENT All relevant legislation must be properly enforced. EIGHTH COMMANDMENT Mandatory identification and registration (I&R) of all dogs and cats must be a basic principle. NINTH COMMANDMENT Mandatory systematic neutering of all dogs and cats must be introduced as a means of crisis management. TENTH COMMANDMENT All companion animals should receive regular health checks, be vaccinated and have a pet passport when travelling abroad.

9 DOGS AND CATS I&R IN EUROPE THE KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR A SECURE AND COMPATI- BLE SYSTEM SPECIAL FOCUS IDENTIFICATION >> EU rules for the generation of transponder codes, including: mandatory use of country codes conforming with ISO 11784, 11785, and 3166 mandatory traceability of manufacturers and distributors in accordance with the regulations of the ISO Registration Authority, the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) responsibility of each Member State to ensure that the country code is used only in accordance with the rules set out by the Competent Authority ideally, only veterinarians to be allowed to buy and implant transponders mandatory registration of each transponder by the manufacturer, providing as many details as possible to guarantee uniqueness. REGISTRATION >> National databases enabling access from any location through a central database that gathers the data from all national member databases, as EuroPetNet is already doing. >> Passport numbers and transponder codes must be linked and registered together in any national database. Whenever possible, the animal s vaccination data should also be included. >> EU rules (or at least guidelines) regarding the minimum data to be collected, including the possibility that Member States may require further data (e.g. recording recent vaccination data). ACCESSING AND UPDATING DATA >> Prompt and comprehensive updating of the data by the pet owner in the event of a change of owner or the death of the animal. >> Different levels of access to the data (e.g. for Competent Authorities, veterinarians, NGOs, police and customs) in order to ensure data protection and effective implementation of the norms. EDUCATION AND TRAINING >> Proper education of dog and cat owners about responsible ownership (including identification and registration) and proper training of all those involved in the I&R process, such as Competent Authorities, veterinarians, NGOs, police and customs. ENFORCEMENT >> Harmonised structure of responsibility in the Competent Authority of each Member State. >> Effective communication and reporting structures and systems in place between the Competent Authorities of the Member States, between the Competent Authorities and EuroPetNet, and between the Competent Authorities, EuroPetNet and the EU. >> Implementation of adequate and deterrent penalties at the legal and other levels (e.g. at the contractual level with respect to transponders) for all responsible natural and legal persons in cases of misuse. >> Dogs and cats in shelters must be identified and registered in the name of the shelter until such time as the animal is adopted. Relevant administration software that includes registration functions is already on the market. >> Stray dogs and stray cats must be considered as belonging to the municipality and registered as such in any national database, if necessary with the support of NGOs. CAROmag

10 ABSTRACTS SPECIAL FOCUS INTERVIEWS WITH PROMI- NENT STAKEHOLDERS DR. MONIQUE MEGENS President of FECAVA FECAVA recommends that all dogs in Europe are identified by microchip and registered. We recognise the need for coordination of national databases at a Pan-European level. This would not only encourage responsible pet ownership and help reunite lost dogs with their owners, but it will also help tackle puppy farming and the control of the risk of disease spread. Although it might not be the case in some of our member countries, FECAVA recommends that the implantation of a microchip is a veterinary procedure that should be carried out by a qualified veterinary surgeon. Ours is a regulated profession, which means that if a vet does not do his or her job professionally and conscientiously, (s)he could loose his or her license to practice. This limits the risk of fraud. Read the complete interviews on and DR. SVEN HUTHER CEO OF PLANET ID The existing regulations for non-livestock animals have shown in the last 20 years that they are weak, and too many options are left to the Member States. With the existing regulation, it is impossible to have a system which can be understood in all countries, and here is a point which clearly needs MORE regulation on the EU level (...) Mandatory use of the country code in the whole of Europe, as well as mandatory registration of pets, are missing from the current EU regulation. On the national level, it is essential to nominate a Competent Authority which really is competent and takes care of the regulation of the code structure for the country (...). Particularly if the responsibility for different animal species is with different ministries, national communication and coordination are the main condition for a well-functioning and safe system. Read the complete interviews on and DR. MICHEL SCHOFFENIELS CEO OF EUROPETNET Europetnet (...) is a consolidated database of local databases. At least once a week, each member sends the transponder numbers they have registered and some information (...). When an animal that is registered in a Europetnet member database is found, the search in our database shows the details of the database that is local to the owner. (...) Europetnet is more than a search engine: it is a human organisation with animal welfare as its philosophy, and we meet every year with the aim of improving our systems, and exchange ideas and ways of working. (...) I can see that each year pet owners are getting more concerned about animal welfare, especially over the last 10 years, and our politicians (in Belgium, at least) also are trying to improve the national regulations for animal welfare. Read the complete interviews on and

11 ABSTRACTS DATABASES IN GERMAN SPEAKING COUNTRIES DR. HERBERT MUELLER CEO OF ANIMALDATA, AUSTRIA SPECIAL FOCUS In 2008, the identification and registration of dogs in Austria became mandatory by law. The identification and registration of other pets in Austria is only done voluntarily and on the basis of our General Terms and Conditions. Already at that time, the legislator recognised that it was not possible for a dog owner to come to a public office to carry out the registration, any updating of data, change of owner, or cancellation in the case of the death of a dog. The legislator took advantage of the experience of the existing databases and their network with the Austrian veterinarians by commissioning them as registrars. Thus, the entire management is performed by the registrars, and the authority must supervise only the central database. This system has been well established and works perfectly (...). Read the complete interviews on and PHILIP MCCREIGHT CEO TASSO e.v., Germany Unfortunately, there is no nationwide legal basis for I&R of companion animals in Germany. Legislation for hazard prevention or special dog laws is a state issue. (...) The structures in Germany are by far not efficient enough. The functionality of the system is implicitly burdened on the shoulder of private organisations like TASSO, but without the necessary laws and regulation. Our call for legislation was dismissed in the past with the argument of a non-proportional intrusion into the privacy of pet owners or the unfounded fear of overregulation. The federal governmental system in Germany is also not very helpful for the process. Our wish list for Germany has only one point: mandatory registration of dogs and cats using the Austrian model as best practice. A purely governmental database in Germany would be the nail in the coffin for animal welfare-driven I&R (...). Read the complete interviews on and DENISE DELLEY CEO of ANIS, Switzerland In Switzerland, every dog has had to be identified and registered in the database since 1 January Dogs born after 1 January 2006 must be marked with a transponder. The legislator also prescribes what type of transponder has to be used for the identification of dogs. For cats, the identification and registration is voluntary. The identification and registration costs between 60 and 100 Swiss francs per animal, depending on the veterinary practice that charges the pet owner. In Switzerland, identification can only be done as a package together with the registration (...). I believe that the I&R system works very well in Switzerland. This is because we are in the fortunate position that the legislation requires I&R for all dogs. It would be desirable for the legislature to require I&R in respect of cats too (...). Read the complete interviews on and CAROmag

12 PRESS REVIEW LATEST NEWS ON DOGS NEWS SOME 16 DOGS DESTROYED BY DOG POUNDS IN IRELAND EVERY DAY, SHOCK DATA RE- VEALS 3rd August 2015 Exclusive analysis of data from the Environment Department reveals that 40,529 abandoned dogs were destroyed in Ireland between 2008 and 2014 with 3,141 put to sleep last year alone. FOUR PAWS FIGHTS AGAINST ILLEGAL PUPPY TRADE! 27th July 2015 A VIER PFOTEN video on the illegal puppy trade: why it should be considered a serious issue in the EU and how it should be dealt with. THE TRUE COST OF IRRESPONSI- BLE PET BREEDING 22nd July 2015 Vet checks, pet food, socialisation, vaccinations, microchipping, finding suitable homes. There s a lot to think about when taking on the responsibility of breeding your pet. BEWARE OF RABIES : THE FRENCH MINISTRY IS LAUNCH- ING AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND INVITES EVERYONE TO BE VIGILANT 28th June 2015 Rabies still kills one person every ten minutes in the world. It is for this reason that the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is launching an awareness campaign to remind travellers that they should not bring animals from countries affected by rabies. The ministry will also remind them of the mandatory steps to take before traveling abroad with ones animal. HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR STRAYS IN EUROPE 12th June 2015 The EU has agreed to recognise that stray cats and dogs should not be classified as wild.the decision follows a successful campaign by international animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS and is being described as a huge step forward for stray companion animals and animal welfare in general. SUCCESS FOR FOUR PAWS WILD? ME? CAMPAIGN: EU REC- OGNISES THAT HOMELESS CATS AND DOGS ARE NOT WILD 2nd June 2015 A major step forward for companion animals in Europe has been taken within the last draft of the Animal Health Law. Although the wild and kept definitions will stay, a clause has been added, stating that stray animals are not wild animals, and that the critical definition of wild animals will apply only to this law. RABIES CASE IN FRANCE HIGH- LIGHTS NEED FOR UK VIGI- LANCE 27th May 2015 A case of canine rabies has been reported in Le Chambon-Feugerolles, a commune close to Saint-Etienne in the Loire Valley in France. WALES TO INTRODUCE TIGHTER DOG BREEDING RULES 8th April 2015 The new law applies to breeders who keep more than 3 breeding bitches. It includes minimum staff requirement, and the implementation of socialisation plans for puppies. LATEST PUBLICATIONS Promoting veterinary leadership in stray dog control in Europe, Every dog deserves a caring owner : The veterinary vision on stray dog management FVE, UEVP and FECAVA, May 22, 2015 Conclusions of the FVE Conference on Natural disasters and One-Health: are we ready to react? FVE, May 5, 2015 Scientific opinion on canine leishmaniosis European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), April 28, 2015

13 PRESS REVIEW LATEST NEWS ON CATS LET S GIVE FERAL CATS THEIR CITIZENSHIP 3rd August 2015 This is an article about a different way to control feral cats in Australia, starting by ending the practice of killing cats. ICATCARE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN 16th July 2015 The overall message of our campaign is that prevention is better than cure Claire Bessant, icat Care chief executive. MORE THAN DOGS AND CATS ABANDONED IN SPAIN IN th July 2015 According to Fundacion Affinity, the numbers are stable, but adoptions are decreasing. The number of identified dogs (30%) and especially cats (only 3%) is one of the key issues, together with the low ratio of neutered animals. ANIMAL WELFARE POLICE LAUNCHED IN BULGARIA 8th July 2015 Four Paws Bulgaria has taken the first steps towards the establishment of an animal welfare police service. By a decree of the Minister of the Interior, each regional police department will assign two policeofficers who will specialise in investigating animal-related crimes ONE IN TEN CATS IN SWEDEN ARE HOMELESS 22nd June 2015 Cats are among the most popular pets in Sweden. But more than 100,000 of the furry creatures are believed to have been abandoned by their former owners, according to animal rights organisations. 9th June 2015 Although formal adoption is not expected before the end of the year, press statements issued by Ms. Paulsen as well as the Latvian Presidency already indicate strong expectations that the final law will respect key principles. WALLON MINISTER DI ANTONIO IS PREPARING A BILL THAT WILL REQUIRE ALL CITIZENS TO HAVE THEIR CAT NEUTERED 3rd June 2015 From 2017, all cats will have to be spayed in Wallonia. Brussels is likely to follow the same route. DOMESTICATION OF CATS CAN BE TRACED TO MIDDLE EAST 27th May 2015 New data on cat domestication attempts to understand better the estimated 600 million domestic cats living with us today. NEWS WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL FERAL CAT POPULA- TIONS? 16th June 2015 The more effective answer is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). All the cats in the area are trapped, neutered or spayed, then returned to the same area. 71% OF PET OWNERS VOTES IN THE ELECTION WILL BE AFFECT- ED BY ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY 7th May 2015 These are the results of the survey conducted by Animal Friends Insurance. Animal abuse legislation was the issue which matters most to the people. INFORMAL AGREEMENT ON NEW EU ANIMAL HEALTH LAW WELCOME LATEST PUBLICATIONS Cat pheromones may cause increased scratching, focus on scratching devices Texas Tech University, July 15, 2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain management guidelines for dogs and cats Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2015) 17, pp Territory & Ressources: two stops on the road to wellbeing Catalyst Council, July 25, 2015 CAROmag

14 CAROCAT FOCUS ON PROMOTING CAT RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP THE SPANISH CAT MANIFESTO The Cat Manifesto was presented in the Spanish Congress of Deputies on 24 April 2015 during the first Spanish Parliamentary Forum on Feline Protection, organised by the Parliamentary Association in Defence of Animals (APDDA). populations of stray and feral cats. The aim of all those behind the Feline Manifesto is to make the document a basis for the competent authorities to deal with the control and protection of stray cats. In Spain, stray cat control depends on local councils, and whereas some institutions have already launched catch, neuter and release programmes (Barcelona, Malaga, Valladolid and Zaragoza, for example) there are still many places where this is not contemplated. The Feline Manifesto was presented one month before the local elections in Spain, aiming to make the cat welfare issue visible during the last weeks of the campaign. The objective was to propose a practical tool to all animal welfare organisations working on cat welfare at the local level, and to make all candidates aware of the objectives. This event was the largest gathering of cats advocates ever convened in Europe. It was an unprecedented event in a national parliament: the Ernest Lluch Hall was small, and it was impossible to meet all the requests for assistance from all over Spain. The event was supported by CAROcat and TASSO e.v. In the course of four hours, cats were vindicated as citizens entitled to be respected and protected, and catch, neuter and release was advocated as the only effective and ethically acceptable method to control The manifesto is a 10-point proposal to improve the situation of cats in Spain. Those points were agreed by a European expert panel and validated by the Spanish Feline Medicine Group. The necessity to tackle both the owned and unowned cat population in a single document was agreed as a basic requirement, considering that the permeability between the two populations is a critical fact to be taken into consideration. The current feline overpopulation in Spain is an animal welfare issue involving several actors. Accordingly, the Manifesto was designed to call to action different stakeholders: policymakers at the national, local and regional level, owners, politicians, the pet industry, veterinarians and local authorities. Mandatory Identification and Registration, neutering, and the recognition of TNR as the method to control the stray cat population are three essential points of the Manifesto.

15 UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS ANIMAL WELFARE, FROM SCIENCE TO LAW December 2015, Paris, France The 2 days event is organised by the LFDA, the French fundation for animals and law. It will be hosted by the UNESCO. It will convene experts on science and law. GLOBAL ELIMINATION OF DOG-MEDIATED HU- MAN RABIES - THE TIME IS NOW! December 2015, Geneva, Switzerland The event is organised by WHO and the OIE with the support of FAO. The conference will convene key participants from Ministries, Veterinary Services, national rabies coordinators, experts from the veterinary and the human health sectors and international organisations, policy makers, NGOs, donors and the private sector. UPCOMING EVENTS APGAW DOG STRATEGY CONFERENCE 25 November 2015, London, UK APGAW are holding a conference on dog welfare bringing together welfare organisations, politicians, local government representatives, police, breeders, behaviourists and vets to look at what progress has been made, what work needs to be done to ensure higher standards of welfare for dogs. UPCOMING DOG AND CAT DAYS COMPANION ANIMAL DAYS DOG DAYS NATIONAL PET TRAVEL SAFE- TY DAY January 2nd National Pet Travel Safety Day, was founded by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert, Animal Advocate and former Paramedic, Colleen Paige to highlight the dangers of unsecured pets in vehicles and educate the public about how to make vehicle travel safer for people and the pets they love. CHANGE A PET S LIFE DAY January 24th This day is supported by Animal Rescue League of Boston. WORLD SPAY DAY February 23rd This day was founded by Humane Society International US (HSUS). It occurs every last Tuesday of February. LOVE YOUR PET DAY February 20th This unofficial National holiday is a day set aside to give extra attention to and pamper your pets that you love everyday. This is a good day to focus on the special relationship that you have with your pets. WALKING THE DOG DAY February 22nd The origins of this day are a bit obscure. Enjoy this day to have longer walk with your best friend! NATIONAL PUPPY DAY March 23rd National Puppy Day was founded in 2006 by Celebrity Pet & Home Lifestyle Expert and Author, Colleen Paige. CAT DAYS WORLD CAT DAY February 17th This day is mainly celebrated in Europe. CAROmag

16 PARTNERS FOUR PAWS is an Austrian-based international animal welfare organisation with offices in ten European countries, South Africa, the USA and Australia. FOUR PAWS was founded in 1988 in Austria, and in 2003 the organisation became FOUR PAWS International. Since 2007, FOUR PAWS has had a European Policy Office in Brussels which aims to strengthen animal welfare at the European level by influencing European policies and the legal framework. With the aim of consolidating the consideration of companion animals and the responsible ownership principle in EU policies, in 2010 the office created the CAROdog platform, followed in 2013 by the CAROcat platform, and has established the EU Traceability Experts Group. Both platforms and websites are financed exclusively by FOUR PAWS. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell Abruzzo e del Molise Giuseppe Caporale (IZSAM) is a public health body belonging to the Italian National Health System. IZSAM provides scientific and technical support to the National and Regional Governments in veterinary public health, promoting an integrated approach to the sustainability of the animal health and welfare and food safety system. Its headquarters and main laboratories are located in Teramo, in the Abruzzo region. IZSAM manages one OIE collaborating centre, four OIE reference laboratories, one FAO reference centre, four national reference centres and three national reference laboratories, and the Italian National Animal Identification and Registration System. IZSAM has been one of the initiators of the CAROdog and CAROcat projects. As part of the DG SANTE (formerly DG SANCO) of the EU Commission, the Animal Welfare Unit works for the improvement of animal welfare at the EU level. The Animal Welfare Unit is a partner of the CAROdog and CAROcat projects and has representatives on the CARO editorial board. The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) is an umbrella organisation of veterinary organisations from 38 European countries. FVE strives to enhance animal health, animal welfare, public health and the protection of the environment by promoting the veterinary profession. FVE is a partner of the CAROdog and CAROcat projects and has representatives on the CARO editorial board. The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) aims to communicate scientific developments in feline infectious diseases, and to establish a rational basis for cat disease prevention and control across Europe. It aspires to define a code of practice that reflects the present state of knowledge. ABCD is a partner of the CAROcat project and has representatives on the CARO editorial board.