The Institute in Chile for the integrated management of dog populations

On April the 12^th, 2012, the international seminar on "Management of dog populations in rural areas" was held in the Patagonian town of Puerto Montt, Chile, as part of the G. Caporale Institute's international activities, which aim to strengthen scientific research and cooperation in the Latin American country for areas considered to be strategic for the development of national economy: animal welfare, epidemiology, risk analysis, animal traceability, public health and veterinary training. The event was organised in collaboration with the Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (SAG), acting as the relevant authority for the livestock sector of the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, and the University of Santo Tomàs.

The Chilean government was the first to include international standards on animal welfare in bilateral agreements for the exchange of products of animal origin with the European Union. It aims to promote an integrated approach to the protection of livestock production and strengthen the collaboration between public institutions and those interested in facing the complex phenomenon of stray dogs in a systematic manner. The phenomenon is in fact perceived as a major issue in the rural as well as the forest areas of the country, because of the great damages caused to livestock farms, the persistent risk of the spreading of serious zoonotic diseases such as hydatidosis, and the potential negative consequences on the sustainability of ecotourism.

Over 100 participants, along with zootechnical and forestry experts, university professors and researchers, public administrators, representatives of national authorities and local protectionist associations, have engaged in an intense discussion on the effects of the interaction between stray dog populations, wild and domestic species bred in the protected areas of the Chilean Patagonia.

Amongst the seminar reports the most interesting ones concerned the economic consequences of feral dogs' predation on extensive sheep farming, methods of control and wild carnivore conservation projects, the development of immunocontraception and pharmacological methods aiming at pet fertility control, educational and public awareness campaigns on the responsible ownership of animals. Experts from the G. Corporale Institute reported on the most significant experiences and outlined the extent of the stray dog phenomenon in protected areas. Such phenomenon is equally important in many areas of the old continent and now especially so given the implications on health, public safety and animal welfare.