Assumptions 2018
The aim of the planned expedition was to train Kyrgyz veterinarians and exchange experiences in the scope of reducing the population of stray dogs.
The expedition included theoretical and practical training of veterinarians, members of the Kyrgyz Medical and Veterinary Chamber willing to participate in it.
- Scope of lectures/workshops:
- Dog as a reservoir of diseases transmissible to humans
- Methods of population reduction and care for stray dogs - different models, benefits, costs, monitoring, marking
- Experiences from Poland
- Discussion on the problem and development of proposals for a model reducing the population of stray dogs for Kyrgyzstan
- Presentation of the equipment we brought, adapted to perform sterilization in the field conditions
- Training in the organisation of a sterilisation in the field conditions, including catching and marking of animals
- Practical training in the field sterilization techniques
The idea of cooperation during our first expedition to Kyrgyzstan was to present a model of "mobile" sterilization, which perfectly rise to the challenge in areas where access to the services of a stationary animal medical facility is difficult. We wanted to show how this problem was solved in Poland by launching the so-called sterilisation buses (www.mopsik.org). Kyrgyzstan is struggling with the problem of an excessive number of free-living dogs. Our goal was to convince Kyrgyz veterinarians that sterilization and permanent marking (earrings) of as many free-living dogs as possible are the only humanitarian solutions giving long-term results. The use of earrings makes it easier to identify sterilized animals from afar. Spaying and neutering of as many dogs as possible significantly reduces the number of puppies and thus, over time, reduces the number of free-living dogs, reducing the risk of human exposure to zoonoses, including rabies.
We believed that within a week we could successfully train and convince at least a few veterinarians to the solutions we have proposed.