Building Dog Management Programs with Canadian First Nations

This morning: Look at simplified program planning using tools that are available and specific to dog population management.

IFAW - NORTHERN DOGS PROJECT Create culturally relevant dog management programs with community partners that lead to humane and sustainable systems and practices that are community specific, contextual, empowering and supported.

Community Priorities Housing Potable water Health care Education Unemployment Violence Residential school Substance abuse

FIRST NATIONS DOGS Hunted, hauled sleds, carried packs, sounded the alarm, religious mythology, sacrifice, clothing, food, companions Valued as workmates, family members

FIRST NATIONS DOGS TODAY No longer workmates, not yet pets.

Role of dogs today keep people safe help people hunt Puppies are cute playmates and friends Dogs have always been there People want them.

Even though people want dogs, it doesn t mean there are no dog issues. Think about the dog problems you hear about.

vet services, microchipping, outreach, education, removing dogs, dog culls, registration, bylaws, enforcement, tying, fences, pamphlets, sweeps, communications, pounds, spay/neuter

In order to achieve a successful (humane and sustainable) dog management program, the COMMUNITY, not the service provider or consultant, must be responsible for the program. The program: Resides in the community. Is run by the community. Is institutionalized in that community.

Effective?

Think about the most gratifying dog related project you have been part of. picture where it was and what you were doing.

1. What made it so great? 2. What were some of the challenges?

Plan = Road map Where we re starting (baseline) Where we want to finish what that looks like on the ground (impact). How we get there

Finding ways to work with our community partners so that our work doesn t just provide a service the learning actually increasing the understanding of dog/human relationships so that that knowledge can become integrated into community planning or interdepartmental conversations or.

Planning 101 1. Understand the situation 2. Measure 3. Adapt

Planning 101: Understanding the situation Icebergs and understanding the situation? There s a little bit that s obvious and a whole bunch that isn t

Planning 101: Understanding the situation How is an iceberg like our work? There is information that we can see or be told, but there is much to learn, understand and assimilate that we don t readily have access to.

Planning 101: Understanding the situation 1. Understand the situation From the community perspective.. People s lived experiences and feelings; how they feel about dogs; how they describe the situation; what people do when we are there, what we don t see when we are gone; what people say vs what they think; what the dogs are doing when we happen to see them; etc. With contributions from our experience and knowledge... You have to take the time to find out what s under the water so to speak.

In order to achieve a successful (humane and sustainable) dog management program, the community must be involved.

Planning 101: Understand the situation ICAM IFAW s Humane Community Development (HCD)

Planning 101: Measure 2. Measure What is there. As we go along.

In your work, have you ever been given information or data that wasn t a reflection of the reality on the ground?

Great tool for measuring is ICAM s Are We Making a Difference?: Recommends valid, reliable, practical and feasible ways of assessing the impact of domestic dog population interventions. http://www.icamcoalition.org/indicatorsproject.html

Planning 101: Adapt 3. Adapt! Flexible tied to understanding the situation and to measuring. new information allows us to get better and better, to change and adapt.

Planning 101 1. Understand the situation - exercises 1. The Problem Splurge 2. The 5 whys.

Planning 101 1. Understand the situation - exercises The Problem Splurge 1. Lets people be heard. 2. Gets all the dog related problems out and allows people to express themselves. 3. Helps everyone to understand the situation on the ground.

Planning 101 1. Understand the situation exercises The 5 whys This exercise gives an idea of why it s important to understand the situation before intervening but also how to dig deeper to get at some of those underlying issues this is the underwater part of the iceberg.

Planning 101 Problem There s a man crying on the bench in a Leaf s jersey.

Planning 101 Because He missed the bus to the game.

Planning 101 Because he s always running late for things.

Planning 101 Because his watch is 15 minutes slow.

Planning 101 Because it s an old watch and he refuses to get a new one.

Planning 101 Because it was his dad s watch that he wore to all the Leaf games.

Planning 101 There are too many dogs.

Planning 101 2. Measure Baseline. As we go along. To know when we get there!

http://www.icam-coalition.org/indicatorsproject.html

Planning is a tool to help us do our work better.