STRAY DOG POPULATION CONTROL TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL HEALTH CODE CHAPTER 7.7 5 - 8 August 2014, Tokyo/Yokohama-Japan

STRAY DOG POPULATION CONTROL
  TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL HEALTH
      CODE CHAPTER 7.7.
                 5 – 8 August 2014, Tokyo/Yokohama-Japan

 Tikiri Wijayathilaka, OIE RRAP, Tokyo, Japan

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Presentation outline
o   History of the chapter
o   Why did the OIE develop this chapter?
o   OIE questionnaire on dog population control
o   Preamble
o   Guiding principles
o   Dog population control program objectives
o   Case studies
o   Responsibilities and competencies
o   Development of a dog population control program
o   Control measures
o   Monitoring and evaluation of a dog population control program

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History of the chapter
 2006 – May – 5th meeting of WG on Animal Welfare –
  TOR Modified to concentrate on dog population control
 2007 – March – Draft Guidelines – TAHSC
 2009 – March – Annex XV – TAHSC Draft Chapter
 2009 – May – Resolution No 30 – approved at OIE 77th
  General Session

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Links to capture the history……

•   http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/About_us/docs/pdf/A_RESO_
    2009_PUB.pdf - RESOLUTION No. 30 - 77 GS/FR – PARIS, May
    2009
•   http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Settin
    g/docs/pdf/A_TAHSC_March2009_PartA.pdf - Annex XV - OIE
    Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission / March 2009
•   http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Settin
    g/docs/pdf/A_TAHSC_MARCH2007_PARTC.pdf - Appendix VII -
    DRAFT GUIDELINES DOG POPULATION CONTROL - OIE
    Terrestrial Animal Health Standards commission/March 2007
•   http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Settin
    g/docs/pdf/A_TAHSC_OCTOBER2006.pdf - REPORT OF THE
    FIFTH MEETING OF THE OIE WORKING GROUP ON ANIMAL
    WELFARE Paris, 4 - 6 July 2006 – Item No 12 - Stray animal control
    – TOR modified to concentrate on dog population control programs
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Why did the OIE develop this chapter?

 More than 55 000 people die each year from rabies, majority
  are children and in many cases the source of infection is a
  stray dog
 99% human rabies deaths are due to dog bites
 Many millions of animals contract and die of rabies each year
 Stray dogs pose serious human health, socio-economic,
  political and animal welfare problems in many countries of the
  world, and especially in developing countries and in least
  developed countries.

                                 (Slide - OIE stray dog control standards and
                                 perspective, Dr. Stanislav Ralchev)

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OIE questionnaire on dog population control

    To study and evaluate the problem and collect relevant
     data, a questionnaire on dog population control was
     distributed to all OIE countries, the survey comprised 17
     questions and they were divided into two sections:
         General information on the dog population
          (presence, distribution and problems)
         Stray dog control
          (presence of official control programmes, different methods
          employed)

http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/A_TAHSC_MARCH2007_PARTC.pdf

(Slide - OIE stray dog control standards and
perspective, Dr. Stanislav Ralchev)

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Are free roaming dogs a problem?

                                               Are free roaming dogs a problem?
          Are free roaming dogs a problem?           EUROPE (30 countries)

                                                  No
                                                                        Yes
                                                 40%
                                                                        47%

                                                       In some
                                                         areas
        HDI - Human Development Index                     13%

(Slide - OIE stray dog control standards and
perspective, Dr. Stanislav Ralchev)

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Preamble
 Scope of these recommendations is to deal with
  stray and feral dogs, which pose serious
  human health, animal health and welfare
  problems and have a socio-economic,
  environmental, political and religious impact in
  many countries
 Human health, including the prevention of
  zoonotic diseases, notably rabies, is a priority
 Dog population management is an integral part
  of rabies control programs

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Preamble cont.
 OIE recognizes the importance of controlling dog
  populations without causing unnecessary animal
  suffering
 Veterinary Services should play a lead role in
  preventing zoonotic diseases and
  ensuring animal welfare and should be involved
  in dog population control, coordinating their
  activities with other competent public institutions
  and/or agencies

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Guiding principles

                     10

Guiding principles - Article 7.7.1.

 Recommendations are based on those laid
  down in Chapter 7.1. (Animal Welfare)
 Some additional principles are relevant to
  these recommendations;
  • Promotion of responsible dog ownership can
    significantly reduce the numbers of stray dogs
    and the incidence of zoonotic diseases
  • Because dog ecology is linked with human
    activities, control of dog populations has to be
    accompanied by changes in human behavior
    to be effective

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Objectives of
Dog population control
      program

                         12

Objectives of Dog population control
program - Article 7.7.3.

                 Improve health
                 and welfare of
                 owned and stray
                 dog population
                                                   Reduce numbers
                                                   of stray dogs to an
                                   Assist in the   acceptable level
   Promote                         creation and
   responsible                     maintenance
   ownership                       of a rabies
                                   immune or
                                   rabies free
                                   dog
                                   population

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Objectives of Dog population control
program cont.
                  Reduce the risk of
                  zoonotic diseases    Manage
                  other than rabies    other risks to
                                       human
                                       health (e.g.
                                       parasites)

 Prevent harm to the
 environment and
 other animals                                          Prevent
                                                        illegal
                                                        trade and
                                                        trafficking

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Case Studies

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ABC Program – Jodhpur - India

      The Marwar Trust runs Animal Birth Control
       (ABC) program since 2004.
      2004 -2014 76,406 dogs (36,401 females and
       40,005 males) have been sterilized and
       vaccinated for rabies.
      30 000 roaming dogs in Jodhpur (Hiby, 2012)
      Yearly mark-re-sight surveys have shown that
       the herd immunity achieved is consistently
       between 85 and 90%
      Jodhpur – population of 800 000 inhabitants
Dr. Rastislav Kolesar, Dr. Gardner Murray WORKSHOP ON
RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR DOG
RABIES CHIANG MAI, THAILAND 11-13 JUNE 2014
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Disease control through fertility control: Secondary benefits of animal
birth control in Indian street dogs: Andrew J. Yoaka∗, John F. Reece, Stanley D. Gehrtc, Ian
M. Hamilton - Preventive Veterinary Medicine

 (1) survey sexually intact street dogs for a wide range of diseases in three cities in
     Rajasthan, India and
 (2) evaluate links between the health of non-treated dogs and both the presence
     and duration of animal birth control (ABC) programs.

 Viral and bacterial disease sero-prevalences were assessed in 240 sexually intact
     street dogs from Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Sawai Madhopur cities in October
     and September 2011.

 Dogs in cities with an ABC program had with significantly (p < 0.05) higher
   overall body condition scores, lower prevalence of open wounds likely
   caused by fighting, flea infestations, infectious canine hepatitis, Ehrlichia
   canis, Leptospira interrogans serovars, and canine distemper virus
   antibodies.

 [However, found high number of brown dog ticks and no difference in Canine
    Parvo Virus and Brucella canis]
 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587713002833                            17

Control of rabies in Jaipur, India, by the sterilization and
vaccination of neighbourhood dogs: J. F. Reece, S. K. Chawla

 A program to sterilize and vaccinate neighborhood dogs against rabies was
 established in Jaipur, India. Neighborhood dogs were captured humanely,
 sterilized surgically, vaccinated against rabies and, when they had recovered,
 released where they had been caught.

 Between November 1994 and December 2002, 24,986 dogs were treated in this
 way.

 Direct observational surveys of the local dog population indicated that
 •Sixty five per cent (65%) of the females were sterilized and vaccinated and that
 the population declined by 28 per cent.

 •The records of human cases of rabies seen in the main government hospital of
 the city between January 1992 and December 2002 showed that the number of
 cases had declined to zero in the program area but increased in other areas.

Veterinary Record (2006) 159, 379-383                                                18

Responsibilities and
   competencies

                       19

Key stakeholders and their main
   responsibilities

Vet Authority      Responsible to implement animal health and welfare legislations

Public Health      May play a leading role in zoonoses control, stray dog control

Environment Ag Control problems associated with stray dogs

Private Vets       Provide advice to dog owners, handlers–may be the 1st to see case

NGO                Important partner to VS, public awareness, provide local knowledge

Local Govt.        Responsible to develop & implement laws for dog ownership

Dog Owner          Immediate acceptance of responsibility of dog, offspring

For full details, please visit the page   http://www.oie.int/index.php?id=169&L=0&htmfile=chapitre_aw_stray_dog.htm   20

Development of a dog
 population control
      program

                       21

Development of a dog population
control program – Article 7.7.5.
 Recommends that the authorities establish an
  advisory group
 Should include:
   Veterinarians
   Experts in - dog ecology, dog behavior and zoonotic
    diseases
   Representatives of relevant stakeholders (local
    authorities, human health authorities, environmental
    control authorities, NGOs and the public)

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Main purpose of the advisory group
                         Obtain public
                        opinion on dog

   Analyze and
   quantify the
     problem
                                          Propose the
                                         most effective
                                         approaches to
             Identify                      use in the
               the                       short and long
              cause                           term

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Important considerations

 Identifying the sources of stray dogs
 Estimating the existing number,
  distribution and ecology
 Regulatory framework
 Resources available to authorities

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Control measures

                   25

Possible control measures –
Article 7.7.6.

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Education on responsible dog
ownership should address…

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Euthanasia

 When euthanasia is practiced,
   general principles in the Terrestrial Code should
    be followed
   It should have emphasis on using the most
    practical, rapid and humane methods
   Should ensure operator safety
 Regardless of the method used, it is
  important to minimize distress, anxiety and
  pain

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Monitoring and evaluation
of dog population control
        programs

                            29

Monitoring and evaluation of dog
population control programs - Article 7.7.7.

 Allows for comparison of important indicators
  against the baselines measured during initial
  assessment (see Article 7.7.5)
 Three main reasons for carrying out monitoring
  and evaluation are:
   to help improve performance, by highlighting both
    problems and successful elements of interventions
   for accountability, to demonstrate that the program is
    achieving its aims
   assuming methods are standardized, to compare the
    success of strategies used in different locations and
    situations
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Elements that should generally be
monitored and evaluated

 Dog population size, separated into sub-
  populations according to ownership and restriction of
  movement
 Dog welfare, in the target population and as a result
  of the program
 Prevalence of zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, in
  both the animal and human population
 Responsible animal ownership, including measures
  of attitudes and understanding of responsible
  ownership and evidence that this is translating into
  responsible behavior
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Sources of information for
monitoring and evaluation
 Feedback from the local community (e.g.
  through the use of structured questionnaires,
  focus groups or ‘open format’ consultation
  processes)
 Records and opinions obtained from relevant
  professionals (e.g. veterinarians, medical
  doctors, law enforcement agencies, educators)
 Animal based measurements (e.g. direct
  observation surveys of population size and
  welfare status)

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Important

 Output of activities against budget
  should be carefully recorded in order
  to evaluate the effort (or cost)
  against the outcomes and impact
  (or benefit) that are reflected in the
  results of monitoring and evaluation

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…….that are reflected in the results of
monitoring and evaluation…….              34

Thank you for your attention!

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