In 2009, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) established guidelines for stray dog population control in Chapter 7.7 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. This significant step, unanimously approved at the 77th General Session, has yet to be fully implemented worldwide, as of 2015.
To address this gap, the World Animal Net (WAN) published a comprehensive report. This report delves into:
- Background of WOAH Standards
- Contents of the Standard
- Regional Strategies: An assessment of regional animal welfare strategies and their inclusion of stray dog population control.
- National Policies and Legislation: Analysis of national strategies and their alignment with the WOAH standard.
- Recommendations for Animal Protection Organizations
The report examined the implementation of the WOAH standard in various countries, including:
- North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco
- East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
- West and Central Africa: Niger, Nigeria
- South Africa
- Europe: Belarus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK
- Asia Pacific: Azerbaijan, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela
Key Recommendations
At a global level, the World Animal Net recommends that animal protection organizations:
- Incorporate WOAH standards into funding proposals to align with international best practices.
- Advocate for transparency in measuring progress towards WOAH standards.
- Campaign for the implementation of the WOAH standard in OIE member countries.
External Link:
https://worldanimal.net/our-programs/international-policy/the-oie/report-stray-dog-population-management-and-the-oie