The Institute in Serbia for stray dog populations

The workshop on pets' welfare and stray dog management promoted by the Directorate General of Veterinary Services of the Republic of Serbia, and implemented under the Technical Assistance Program ( Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument - TAIEX) of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement, was held in Belgrade from the 17^th to the 18^th of October 2011. During the two-day seminar, the study group discussed the latest current issues and possible intervention strategies to limit the stray dog phenomenon and control the overpopulation of pets, main factors responsible for it.

The Teramo G. Caporale Institute experts, official representatives of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), presented OIE's international standards on stray dog populations control, pet traceability information systems and non-epidemic emergencies management operating procedures. Veterinaries, local administrators, appropriate authorities and local representatives of protectionist associations, confronted each other in the conference hall, as well as on field, with local and international experts, from Italy, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Bulgaria. All the speakers emphasised the recent European Commission's commitment to promoting the enhancement of responsible ownership of domestic pets at a local level. They further stressed the need for legal, informational and educational initiatives in order to effectively counteract animal abuse and abandonment in a sistematic, ethical and sustainable manner.

Concluding the workshop, participants expressed a broad consensus on the importance of communication and information, as essential elements for the promotion of a civic consciousness that is considerate and sensitive towards animal needs. From a technical and scientific point of view, participants highlighted the necessity for national information systems centred on the compulsory electronic identification of animals, targeted and efficient control plans, manuals and standard operating procedures apt to uniform policies for recovery, rescue, management and care of shelter dogs. Finally, members, including communities strongly committed to public health and animal welfare protection, shared the importance of having the opportunity to refer to virtuous models based on the rational use of difficultly available resources.