Madrid City Best Practices Catalogue
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Madrid City
Best Practices Catalogue
Practice: Control of Stray and Abandoned Animals
SUMMARY
Madrid Salud, by means of its Veterinary Services Department, assumes responsibility for the management of domestic
animals and pets. In order to achieve a healthy balance in the eco-system in the City which is to guarantee not only the health
and safety of its residents, but also the protection, health and welfare of these animals, one of the services which it provides,
with excellent results, is intervention in the control of stray and abandoned animals.
OBJECTIVES AND BACKGROUND
The main objectives are:
• G.O.1: To prevent and control possible health and safety problems due to the presence of animals
• G.O.2: To promote the protection and welfare of animals in the city
• G.O.3: To improve sustainability regarding to the presence of animals in the city
Concerning these objectives, the control of stray animals is one of the most important intervention points of the
Department, supported by the following processes:
Taking in and care of stray and abandoned animals.
This includes all the actions required from a demand for action to the final destination of the animal,
including the processes of taking in and attend to the basic needs and health issues of each animal.
In 2011 the rates of animals entered, in both dogs and cats, in the Animal Protection Centre were stabilized, with an
overall variation for each species of -2% compared to 2010. For 2012 is provided the entry of about 2600 dogs and 3000
cats.
In 2013 it is noted that the smooth decline in the total number of animals entered in the period 2010-2012 has been
slowed down, specially due to the observed increase in the number of cats admitted (about 11%) despite the fact that
the number of dogs has continued to fall (about -2%)
Municipal Emergency Veterinary Service (SEVEMUR)
Added to the common capture service for animals, since 1993, the Dept. of Veterinary Services has been
operating a 24/7 emergency service, aimed at providing speedy service, of capture and possible entry of sick or
injured domestic animals and pets roaming the thoroughfare, with the purpose of avoiding unnecessary suffering, for
humanitarian reasons.
At the same time, this service cares for the urgent action for capture of animals not included in the above group, but
which could represent a risk for the environment, as well as services at night, weekends and holidays.
This service carried out a total of 3,865 actions in 2013, collecting 2,243 animals from which about 5% of them were
returned to their owners “in situ”.
Adoption of animals
- Manage the output of the animals admitted to the CPA, in such a way that the volume of adoptions increase and
the speed and efficiency in the recovery by their owners according to the case by:
- Continuous assessment of the animals admitted in order to their rating according to criteria of ascertaining.
Individualized attention to citizens/users who are demanding an animal for adoption.
During 2013, 1.124 dogs, 500 cats and 390 animals of various species such as reptiles, leporids, birds, horses, etc. was
taken.
Directorate General for External Promotion - promocionexterior@madrid.es
The progressive increase in the number of animals cared for has made it necessary to double efforts to find a new home
for animals admitted to our centre which are suitable for adoption.
To this regard, the Animal Protection Centre (CPA in Spanish) support and develop collaboration with
animal protection associations.
On these lines the Dept. for Veterinary Services has developed a “procedure of valuation of the adoptability”
which establishes criteria allowing us to find out to what extent adoption is a possibility for each animal.
Internet animal adoption service
Via the Internet animal adoption service (located on the portals www.madrid.es, and
www.madridsalud.es) it is hoped to provide residents with a tool for promoting and helping the adoption
of abandoned dogs and cats from the Animal Protection Centre, allowing prior reservation which avoids an
unsuccessful visit to the center, for the subsequent removal of the animal from the person concerned.
This tool reserves a specific area for animals with special characteristics which make their adoption difficult, giving them
a greater external projection, and therefore helping their adoption by especially involved people. At the same time, as
well as it makes a choice of the pet easily, the website was conceived to be an invitation to the general public to visit
the CPA itself, in order to choose from other animals not shown on the web, and receive the appropriate technical
advice.
In 2013 the efforts made in previous years continued, getting deliver in adoption a total of 320 animals, figure that is
virtually maintained as in previous years.
Neutering programme for adopted animals.
It is generally accepted that in order to prevent the problem of pet abandonment, it is essential to control their
reproduction. For this reason, a great effort has been made, aimed at extending this measure to as many of the animals
adopted as possible. Despite the large volume of resources and efforts which need to be invested in the project, and
continuing the consolidation process of previous years, further investment in resources for this activity was made, which
has meant a maintenance in 2013 of the figures of animals sterilized, surpassing the 800, as in 2011 and 2012.
Locating the owners of abandoned animals.
In accordance with current legislation (Decree 44/1991 approving the General Regulations for the Protection of
Domestic Animals Act, Comunidad de Madrid), in cases where the animal is duly identified, the owner has to be located,
and the process finalises with the returning of the animal to its owner, or he/she either relinquishes rights or sanctions
are brought against him/her due to abandonment.
Thanks to this procedure, a total of 863 animals have been returned to their owners, representing 88% of the total
number of location procedures carried out; this is the highest figure reached over the years in regard to this service.
Best Practice: Design and establishment of a health control programme at the CPA
The maintenance and care of the animals accommodated at the CPA is a key element in guaranteeing their welfare and
increasing their chances of adoption. During this phase, the clinical actions carried out here, both prevention and cure of the
various different pathologies presented, are beneficial not only for the above mentioned protection and welfare of the animals
concerned, but also of the health of the residents of Madrid and all other pets in the city.
One of the principal health problems faced by animal management services is the control of possible outbreaks of
transmissible diseases. Therefore, one of the main efforts carried out by the Department of Veterinary Services was the
design and setting up of the Animal Protection Centre Health Programme, centred on the revision and redrafting of a
prophylaxis programme (vaccination and deparasitation) of the animals admitted to the CPA, as well as a plan for early
detection and handling of outbreaks of the most common transmissible diseases in pets.
Maintaining an adequate level of health amongst the animals residing at the shelter is the result of a set of measures aimed at
preventing the appearance of any transmissible disease risking the health of both animals and humans within the population.
If in some cases the objective is to keep these pathologies at a level below an acceptable threshold, in many others the
objective is to prevent them appearing or to eradicate them in the fastest possible time once the first case has been
diagnosed, and preventing it spreading to the rest of the animals in the shelter.
Segregation of the animals as soon as they enter the shelter is essential, amongst other reasons, to ensure adequate control
of infectious diseases, but it is equally important to apply surveillance protocols which allow us to observe the possible
appearance of signs of transmissible diseases in the latest arrivals, particularly in the case of susceptible animals or those
whose origin implies a greater danger of being carriers.
2
It should be noted that what makes us different from other animal facilities where “all in – all out” strategies can be
introduced, at our animal shelter centres quarantine protocols, in the strictest sense, are impossible to carry out, as animals
are being admitted constantly; those arriving one day are added to those who arrived the days immediately before; therefore
these continual admissions prevent a reasonable degree of control in quarantine groups.
To sum up, health management at a shelter mainly aims at keeping the facilities and rescue animals free of transmissible
pathogens, and therefore it is essential to introduce control protocols for the newly arrived animals for diagnosis and early
isolation in the event of possible suspicious cases, as well as in routine, specific hygiene protocols for the control or
eradication of the agents producing the main infectious and parasitic diseases.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Programme was drawn up and introduced in March, 2011 and nowadays is maintained through the implementation of
approved procedures and thanks to a very agile internal communication system that allows veterinarians the decision-making
and the registration of all the actions.
It should be noted that a shelter must ensure the facilities and rescue animals are free of transmissible pathogens, and
therefore it is essential to introduce control measures for the newly arrived animals for diagnosis and early isolation in the
event of suspected infection, as well as routine and specific hygiene protocols to control or eradicate the agents which
produce the main infectious and parasitic diseases.
The main challenges in this programme were:
• Bibliographic review. Active search for information on Best Practice Manuals published in Spain or in other countries
on this subject. One of the main sources of reference material was Davis University (California), which has a specific
management programme for animal shelters
• Revision and updating of the hygiene protocol (cleaning and disinfection) of the facilities
• Revision and updating of the diagnosis, deparatisation and vaccination protocol for new arrivals
• Revision and updating of the quarantine protocol for cats housed in the shelter
• Drawing up of the protocol for detection and monitoring of outbreaks. Case registration sheet.
• Drawing up of contingency plans in the event of an outbreak of the principal transmissible diseases, in terms of
frequency and severity: feline panleukopenia (in the case of cats) and canine distemper (in the case of dogs). Specific
cleaning and disinfection regulations for the hygiene company:
o Feline Pauleukopenia
o Canine Distemper
o Canine Parvovirus
COST
• Cost of vaccines, medicines and parasite treatments: 12,000 €/year
• Cost “specialized surgical clinical assistance to animals admitted to the Centre of Animal Protection and care of the
adoption”: €118,367.19
• Cost of "Cleaning": Hygiene, disinfection and desinfestation: 185,292,36. €
RESULTS
Although the special nature of the animals admitted to the CPA shelter cannot prevent the outbreak of any of the most
frequent transmissible diseases in pets, in particular dogs and cats, as the health status of most of these animals is unknown,
the setting up of this Programme has allowed us to reduce the number of affected animals and, what is more important,
reduce the risk of adopted animals or pets recovered by their owners which have been housed at the CPA presenting health
problems as a consequence of this, with all the negative repercussions that this has for the image of the Shelter and the
possibilities of adoption of the other animals there.
LEGISLATION
• Decree dated 21st December, 2011 approving Instructions and Guidance Criteria for Survey on Satisfaction with
Municipal Services
• Agreement dated 25th June, 2009, Government of the City of Madrid, regulating the Service Systems Letters for the
3Madrid City Council
• Agreement dated 4th December, 2008, Government of the City of Madrid, approving the Madrid City Council Best
Administrative Practices
• Mayoral Decree, 24th July, 2005, creating the City Observatory
• Act 22/2006, 4th July, on Capitality and Special Regime for Madrid (665 Kbytes pdf)
• Mayoral Decree, 17th January, 2005, regulating Citizen Attention in the City of Madrid
• Agreement by Madrid City Council Plenary Session, dated 23rd July, 2004, on the Special Commission for
Suggestions and Claims: creation, functions and composition
• Mayoral Decree, 9th July, 2004, creating the Office of the Taxpayers Ombudsman
• Organic Regulations on Citizen Participation for Madrid City Council, 31st May, 2004. Articles 8,22 and 28
• Organic Regulations of Plenary Session of Madrid City Council, 31st May, 2004. Articles 116 to 123 and 136 - 137
• Act 7/1985, dated 2nd April, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. Articles 20 and 132 drawn up by Act
57/2003, dated 16th December, on Measures for the Modernising of Local Government
LESSONS LEARNED
Health management of a shelter aims at maintaining its facilities and the animals housed there free of transmissible pathogens,
and it is therefore essential to introduce control protocols for newly arrived animals for diagnosis and early isolation of
suspected cases, routine and specific hygiene protocols to control or eradicate where possible the agents producing the
principal infectious and parasitic diseases.
The establishing of an appropriate framework for work protocols make it easier to achieve this objective, and allows us to
manage the overall health conditions at the shelter more efficiently, as well as helping to get more animals adopted, whilst
improving the impression of the general public regarding the shelter.
CONTACTS
Unit Address Telephone How to get there Opening Hours
Managed by 914.801.334 Bus: 15, 215
c/ Juan Esplandiú, 11 Metro: Alcalde
Sainz de Baranda Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 14:00
Instituto de 28007 Madrid
914.801.338 and O'Donnell
Salud Pública
(Line 6)
Monday to Friday: from 9.30 to 13.30 hours and from
15.30 to 19.00 hours
Bus: 35, 47, 155
San Isidro week and months of July, August and
Metro: La Peseta (L
Centro de Carretera del Barrio de September from 9.30 to 13 hours and 15.30 to 18.00
11)
Protección la Fortuna, 33 913 094 135 hours
Interurban buses:
Animal 28054 Madrid 24th and 31st December, the Centre is closed.
483-486-487
Adoptions, handing over of animals to owners and rabies
vaccine have special hours.
mspveterniarios@madrid.es
4ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 2014
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