companion animals & community health
Valdivia, Chile EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE VWB/VSF volunteers Elena Garde and Guillermo Perez stationed in Valdivia, Chile were caught in the recent earthquake and are now helping with emergency veterinary and public health responses. Their focus will also include working with others to develop long term rebuilding strategies. Donations designated for this initiative are welcome. Article in Dichato al dia Phase I Summary Report
............. In Chile, street-dog overpopulation is a serious and multi-faceted ethical, socioeconomic and public health problem. Canine overpopulation not only threatens the health and welfare of the dogs themselves, but also impacts the health of people, wildlife and domestic animals. Dogs in this region are dying at an alarming rate from disease, malnutrition and neglect. And while there have been numerous attempts to deal with the problem, the public’s perception of the issue remains extremely varied. Thus, developing a long-term and sustainable solution has been a challenge. In fall 2008, VWB/VSF supported a team of two Canadian professionals to travel to Valdivia, Chile to look into the feasibility of developing a culturally-appropriate canine management program. After assessing the situation and garnering community support, the team made a permanent move to Valdivia the following winter to start putting their comprehensive program into action. Since their arrival in Valdivia, the VWB/VSF team has spent the better part of the year immersing themselves in Chilean culture and learning about the community in which they live and work. Along the way they have built trusting relationships with key people from various sectors, including people from academia, government and non-government groups. Together with these new partners, the team has initiated several animal health and education campaigns in small communities throughout the region. Collecting baseline data from these communities on dogs, people and diseases has also been an important first step. Examining the data will not only highlight specific problem areas in each community, it will also be used in comparative studies that will look at canine issues throughout the country. This systematic approach will allow VWB/VSF to evaluate its programs, learn from successes and failures, and hopefully bring a sustainable solution to Chile’s dog overpopulation problem.
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