The 4th WOAH regional workshop on dog population management was organized in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 26th to 28th September 2023. The last day of the workshop was dedicated to regional rabies issues, taking the opportunity to mark the Word Rabies Day.
The meeting aimed to assist countries in achieving the full implementation of the WOAH standard on dog population management by 2030 with a specific focus on how to drive the changes needed to reach Zero by 30 and end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies.
The event gathered 29 participants representing Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and speakers. Countries were represented by their WOAH National Focal Point for Animal Welfare, working at the central level at the Veterinary Services and in charge of policy and coordination with other stakeholders, and a veterinarian appointed by the WOAH Delegate working for a municipality/local Veterinary Services on stray dog population control.
The workshop was an opportunity to take stock of the situation on current progress towards implementation WOAH standards on dog population management and level of involvement in the Global Strategic Plan to Prevent Human Deaths from Dog-Transmitted Rabies by 2030 (Zero by 2030 strategic plan).
The participants were updated on the changes to Chapter 7.7. of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code on dog population management.
The IZS-Teramo/WOAH Collaborating Centre presented and provided training for the new self-assessment and monitoring tool for dog population management SAM4DPM, a strategic tool offered to countries to become completely self-sufficient in monitoring and assessing the progress of their own individual Roadmaps as well as support development of National Action Plans and Dog Populations Management programmes.
The participants visited the dog shelter in Tbilisi, where, in detail, they discussed the practice of dog control management. The Georgian experience of dogs’ control in Tbilisi inspires colleagues from other countries.
Participants confirmed commitment towards meeting the roadmap objectives and called for continuous support from WOAH and its partners and stakeholders. Based on the information collected during the event, the Platform Secretariat will refine the proposal of the 4th action plan of the Platform (2024-2026) to address the needs of the WOAH members in coordination with donors and partners.
The workshop was kindly hosted by the Government of Georgia and generously funded by the European Union, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Agenda of the workshop
| DAY 1: 26 September 2023 | |
| Welcome address | Vasil Basiladze |
| WOAH Platform for Animal Welfare in Europe activities | T. Grudnik (WOAH) |
| The new Chapter 7.7 of the TACH on-dog population management | P. Dalla Villa (WOAH) |
| Plenary lecture – “Rising community awareness of rabies prevention and dog population management impact on One-Health” | S. D’Albenzio (IZS – Teramo) |
| Presentation SAM System for Dog Population Management (SAM4DPM) | S. D’Albenzio (IZS – Teramo) |
| Follow up on the training on the use of the SAM Tool 2.0 | L. Possenti (IT Expert, IZS – Teramo) |
| Results of the 4th self-assessment (regional trends) and remaining gaps to achieve “the Vision” by 2030
Azerbaijan (ru) Kazakhstan (ru) Tajikistan (ru) |
Moderator (P. Dalla Villa – WOAH) |
| Turkmenistan (ru)
Uzbekistan (ru) Armenia (ru) (presentation shared before meeting with apologies) |
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| Q/A Session on the use of the SAM Tool 2.0 | |
| Group discussion |
| DAY 2: 27 September 2023 | |
| Plenary lecture – “Civil society commitment to evidence based DPM programmes” | Alexandra Hammond-Seaman (RSPCA) |
| Dog population estimation and DMP programs monitoring tools | Tomislav Mikus (RAWC) |
| Sharing country experience – Mayhew International commitment to improve dog welfare standards in West Eurasia | Caroline Yates (Mayhew Georgia) |
| Sharing country experience – The Veterinary Polish Foundation (VPF) experience in Eastern Europe and Central Asia | Karolina Figiel (Veterinary Foundation Poland) |
| Results of the 4th self-assessment (regional trends) and remaining gaps to achieve “the Vision” by 2030
Kyrgyzstan (ru) |
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| LEPL strategies and challenges to dog population management in Georgia | Giorgi Kobiashvili (LEPL Animal Monitoring Agency) |
| Field visit – Tbilisi Animals Municipal shelter |
