HUMANE DOG POPULATION MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE - ICAM ...

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Contents Introduction ICAM 03 Who this guidance is for 03 Introduction 04 Terminology 05 Definitions 05 Content structure 06 A. Initial data collection and assessment Assessing the local dog population 07 Creating a multi-stakeholder committee 07 B. Influential factors in dog population management Factors influencing dog population size 08 Factors motivating people to control dog populations 10 Education 12 Legislation 12 Registration and identification 13 Sterilisation and contraception 14 Holding facilities and rehoming centres 15 Euthanasia 16 Vaccination and parasite control 16 Controlling access to resources 16 Planning for sustainability 17 Aims, objectives and activities 17 Setting standards for animal welfare 17 Implemention 19 Monitoring and evaluation 19 03 07 08 C. Components of a comprehensive dog population management programme 12 D. Designing the intervention E. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation 12 17 19 Annex A: Tools to assess dog population management needs 20 Annex B: Creating a multi-stakeholder committee 22 COVER IMAGE: ROBIN CULLEY/RSPCA PHOTOLIBRARY 02
Introduction ICAM The International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM Coalition) is made up of representatives from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the Humane Society International (HSI), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), RSPCA International (the international arm of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC). This group was set up to fulfil several objectives, including the sharing of information and ideas on companion animal population dynamics with a view to coordinating and improving member organisations’ recommendations and guidance. Each organisation has agreed that it is important to strive to improve our mutual understanding through collaboration. We have a responsibility as funding and advisory bodies to ensure we are offering the most accurate guidance, based on the latest available data and concepts, to those involved with dog population management in the field. We also believe it is important that we endeavour to be transparent and to document our opinions and philosophy whenever possible. It is to this end that this document has been produced – it represents our recommendations at the time of writing, based on the knowledge we have accrued to date, and will be subject to updates when appropriate. We are acutely aware of the lack of data in this field and will strive both to support the collection of new data and to incorporate it into our future discussions, assessments and guidelines. November 2007 Who this guidance is for This document is intended for use by government bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are involved in dog population management. The ICAM Coalition believes that responsibility for dog population management properly resides with local or central government. Animal welfare NGOs should not be encouraged, nor seek, to take on the authority’s overall responsibility for dog population management other than through a contractual agreement, with appropriate funding and resources. However, animal welfare NGOs play an important role in guiding and supporting government strategy, so it is important for such organisations to have an understanding of all the components of a comprehensive strategy. This will enable them to target their support where it can be most effective and to make the best use of limited resources. Aim As an animal welfare advocate, the ICAM Coalition believes that when population management is deemed necessary, it is essential that it is achieved in a humane manner and ultimately leads to an improvement in the welfare of the dog population as a whole. As NGOs we also believe it is important that population management is achieved as effectively as possible due to limitations on resources and also due to our responsibility to our donors. The aim of this document is to provide guidance on how to assess dog population management needs and how to decide upon the most effective and resource-efficient approach to managing the population in a humane manner 1 . We are aware that the status, composition and size of dog populations can vary significantly between and within countries and so there is no single intervention that will work for all situations. Therefore, we strongly advocate the need for initial assessment and consideration of all potential relevant factors before deciding on a programme design. The only concept we consider universal is the need for a comprehensive programme that is focused on causes and not solely on treating the symptom, namely the roaming dog population. 1. Although in a different format and using more recent examples, this document does share many of the concepts, particularly with regards to initial assessment, included in the WHO/WSPA (1990) Guidelines for Dog Population Management. H U M A N E D O G P O P U L A T I O N M A N A G E M E N T G U I D A N C E : I C A M 03
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