First OIE Workshop for the Balkan countries on the stray dog populations

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” (IZSAM), as an OIE Collaborating Centre for Veterinary Training, Epidemiology, Food Safety and Animal Welfare, participated in the First OIE Workshop of the European Region on the control of the stray dog populations, which was held from the 17th to the 19th of June 2014 in Bucharest, Romania.

The workshop was addressed to the countries of the Balkan Region and fits into the activities foreseen for the three-year period 2014-2016 within the OIE Platform on Animal Welfare in the European Region, where the control on the stray dog population is considered a priority among the areas of intervention. The Platform, promoted by OIE and supported by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers of the European Commission, aims at facilitating the regional coordination and implementation of the OIE animal welfare standards.

Furthermore, the workshop aimed at facilitating the analysis of the current national strategies for the control of the stray dog populations and at identifying a preliminary baseline related to the conformity and application levels of the OIE recommendations, including chapter 7.7 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code in the Balkan countries.

IZSAM contributed to the execution of the training activities by presenting the methodology and contents of a questionnaire implemented in order to analyse the measures and the initiatives for the control on the stray dog populations and the application of the OIE standards. During the three workshop days debates and workgroups were launched, representing an opportunity for sharing opinions on good management practices of the stray dog populations, on the importance of sustainability of events and on the challenges related to the implementation of OIE standards and the promotion of a common harmonized vision for the control of the stray dog population in the Balkan Region.