The 1st Conference on Stray Animals in the Caucasus, Yerevan, July 15-16, 2010
Category: FAW News BY: SIRANUSH ABRAHAMYAN
The 1st Conference on Stray Animals in the Caucasus took place in Yerevan on 15th-16th July 2010. The conference was organized by by Pro Paws Charity registered in UK, the Acopian Center for the Environment (ACE), the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in partnership with WSPA, Dogs Trust, WVC, etc.
Among the speakers at the conference were Clarissa Baldwin (Chief Executive, Dogs Trust), Adrian Burder (Marketing Director, Dogs Trust), Joy Lee (Member Society Development Manager for Europe, WSPA), Ray Butcher (Veterinary Advisor and Board Member of WSPA).
The conference gave an opportunity to Armenian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Georgian NGOs representatives to discuss stray dogs’ problems at the round table with the specialists who have extensive and successful experience in solving this problem in UK and worldwide.
As a member society of WSPA and one of the organizations concerned with animal welfare in Armenia, Green Lane NGO also participated in the conference.
Siranush Abrahamyan (ATC, Green Lane NGO), internship student, shared her impressions from the conference:
- The conference was a very interesting event that deeply influenced our thinking about stray animals and their welfare issues. We learned a lot from the conference, for example, from the presentation made by Joy Lee and short interactive training facilitated by Ms. Lee and Harry Eckmann. The questions they raised about stray animals and human attitude to them were completely new to us. I think, the participants have been convinced by Ms. Lee’s presentation that this is a problem which should be solved through joint efforts, in collaboration with partners from other countries.
Adrian Burder explained the animal rehoming process by the example of Dogs Trust and showed figures about population of stray dogs gradually coming down while the financial resources invested in stray dog population management has been going up.
In their presentations, Adrian Burder and Ray Butcher mentioned the approach to the problem adopted by the UK government and proper legislation as important factors contributing to solution of the problem. I fully agree with Ray Butcher on the statement that, in solving this problem, education is the key to success, especially for the countries like Armenia, where this issue has been raised recently.
Management of stray animals’ populations by realistic methods was the main focus of the conference. For me, the main messages of the conference are as follows:
- Killing is not a realistic method for reducing stray dog population.
- There should be clean public spaces and the stray dogs should be sterilized.
- Besides the animal welfare organizations, governments are also responsible for giving solution to this problem.
- There should be legislation in place and the government’s proper attitude to this problem.
- Education programs, trainings should be organized to change public attitude to stray animals and provide more information about this problem.
This conference deepened our understanding of the stray dog’s problem and guided to start working. We should to work together to contribute to the solution of the problem.
After the conference, I went out for a walk as I was swelled up with emotions, which couldn’t be kept in my flat. I set on a bench and an old man seating next to me asked:
- Excuse me, do you agree that an owner of a dog should love, kiss and spend much time with his/her dog?
Even he didn’t let me say anything; he answered his question himself:
- Dogs should stay in the garden and guard the house.
He said and took leave.
On my way home, there was a dog in the street that looked into my eyes and . . . . . . . Dog’s look was so sad, it seemed to ask me for help…
The attitude of people in Armenia must be changed, I thought, and we have to start with provoking these changes in kids when they just start their interaction and communication with environment and animals. I’ll keep all impressions and knowledge I got from the conference. Now I am even more eager to help those whom we call friends but don’t have friendship with.>>
