Dogs Trust Takes A Trip To India

Find out about our International Director David Newall's recent visit to a very special project we helped set up in India with the charity Worldwide Veterinary Service.

“Thousands of dogs across India are born on the streets and sadly the country has the highest prevalence of rabies in the world - around 30,000 people a year die after being bitten by a rabid dog and 80% of those bitten are children under the age of 15.

The International Training Centre (ITC) which we helped WVS set up teaches local vets vital skills and knowledge about animal birth control and rabies prevention. We aim to reduce the number of child deaths in India from rabies by 5% over the next three years – the equivalent of saving a child’s life a day - as well reduce the vast numbers of unwanted litters born every year in India.

The centre is built on a former colonial tea plantation in Ooty in Tamil Nadu and last week I paid a visit to attend its inaugural training course.

They say there is no real preparation for the size of the attack that India subjects on all one’s senses, and they are right! After negotiating a hectic seven hour drive from the airport, involving overtaking, undertaking, rickshaws and cows slowly crossing the road, I finally arrived in Ooty.

Five vets and seven assistants took part in the first course and it was wonderful to see them so keen to learn new skills and pass them on to colleagues. I have nothing but admiration for the work they do in the sometimes limited facilities and they certainly face unusual problems. The sight of an elephant or monkey strolling by outside the clinic isn’t unusual, and sadly one morning a cardboard box of one week old puppies arrived at the clinic shelter after their mother had been killed by a leopard – thankfully not something our Dogs Trust vet clinics in the UK come across.

Dogs Trust International usually works throughout Europe, where we provide training, help and assistance to the cohorts of enthusiastic animal welfarists struggling in demanding circumstances to influence change and promote responsible dog ownership.

I was incredibly grateful for this opportunity to spread our wings a little wider by supporting and guiding local organisations further afield.”

To find out more about David's work, you can read his My Week Profile on the Third Sector website.

International Companion Animal Welfare Conference (ICAWC) 2010 Recap

Whew! What a week! Just winding down and recovering from a busy week in lovely Prague at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference (ICAWC). This year, ICAWC returned to the stunning Czech capital for the first time since 2002 and approximately 250 delegates and speakers attended (wow)! Now in its 12th year, ICAWC has developed a reputation as the foremost companion animal welfare conference in the world, welcoming thousands of animal welfare workers from around the globe, helping them to share, learn and build relationships. This year was certainly no different!

On Tuesday, we had some optional workshops and group visits to a local shelter for early registrants. These activities proved very popular and kept everyone busy until our group welcome dinner at the Velka Klaserni restraurant located just by the stunning Strahov Monastery. With the ice broken and the delegates familiar, the next two days went by in a flash!

We would like to thank our speakers, Luke Gamble (Worldwide Veterinary Service), Scott Spencer (Dogs Trust), Mike Radford & Chris Laurence (Dogs Trust), Ian MacFarlaine (Cats Protection), Mike Arms (Helen Woodward Animal Center), Ray Butcher (Veterinarian), Sara Turetta (Save the Dogs), Sarah Fisher (Tellington Touch), Adam Kirtley (Hand Made Productions), Joy Lee & Elli Hiby & Harry Eckman (WSPA), David Newall (Dogs Trust), Trevor Cooper (solicitor), Maggie Roberts (Cats Protection), Jeff Young (veterinarian), Charlotte Speedy & Laurier Nicas (Dogs Trust), Roger Mugford (The Company of Animals), Carolyn Menteith (behaviourist), and Liz Teal. Such a wide array of topics and backgrounds, and they were all absolutely fantastic and inspiring. Thank you for your wisdom and your words!

We would also like to thank our attendees who travelled from far and wide! Thank you so much for making your way to Prague and we truly hope that we were able to offer you the insight and knowledge you were hoping for.

If anyone is interested in attending next year's ICAWC, keep checking the ICAWC website for updates on 2011! Also, you can e-mail for more details or with any questions.

Now, did you attend this year? Can you see yourself in any of the snaps below? We'll have more photos on Flickr soon!

Did you know?

Dogs Trust is the largest dog charity in the UK, but also assists overseas through international work. One of the latest projects to receive help from Dogs Trust is a new International Training Centre (ITC) set up by the charity, Worldwide Veterinary Service.



Watch the video to find out more information about WVS and the ITC.

WVS, a charity founded by Dorest vet, Luke Gamble, is run from a small office at the back of a second-hand book shop in Cranborne on the edge of the New Forest. The charity provides aid and assistance to animal charities and non-profit organisations around the world.

The opening of the ITC marked World Rabies Day (Tuesday 28th September), an international campaign that has led to the vaccination of three million dogs since 2007.

The ITC, which WVS has set up with the India Project for Animals and Nature, has received sponsorship and expertise from Dogs Trust and will cut the number of young lives lost through a mass dog vaccination programme.

India has the highest prevalence of rabies in the world. On average, 30,000 people a year die from being bitten by a rabid dog and 60 per cent of those bitten are children under the age of 15.

Through widespread vaccination campaigns and working with the Indian Government, WVS has pledged to reduce the number of deaths by five per cent over the next three years – the equivalent of a child’s life every day.

Luke, who has recently appeared in TV series Vet Adventures, said:

"For around the cost of a pint of beer each month you could help save a child’s life. It’s as simple and stark as that. It costs just £3 a month or £30 a year to become a member of WVS and every person who signs up makes a difference to the many animals and communities we help.

“Rabies is one of the oldest diseases known to man. Yet today it is still needlessly killing tens of thousands of people across the world every year. These deaths are preventable with a simple vaccination. Children are more likely to get bitten or scratched on their heads and faces, which carries a higher risk of contracting the disease. They may also be unaware of the dangers and consequently not tell their parents when they have been bitten, scratched or licked by an infected dog. We can help save their lives with your help.”

For further details on WVS, please visit www.wvs.org.uk

Dogs Trust Dublin Official Launch: news and video coming soon!

The doors opened quietly to dog lovers last month, but today sees the official bells-and-whistles launch for Dogs Trust Dublin!

The brand new centre aims to rehome 1,000 dogs every year, and builds on neutering and microchipping campaigns and education work Dogs Trust has been doing in Ireland since 2005.

The big event is taking place as I write, as 11am marks the big moment. We have people on site bearing cameras and ready to capture the best bits for all to see online, so please come back and watch this space tomorrow for a chance to see all the news and get a good peek at the centre itself.

I'm told there are some celebrity guests, too!

In the meantime, if you'd like to visit Dogs Trust Dublin or find out more about it, visit www.dogstrust.ie.

Dogs Trust News Roundup

Hello hello. It's been a little quiet in our social sphere of late as we've been working hard on the kind of behind-the-scenes stuff that is not very flashy or visible but none-the-less very necessary. Here's a quick run down of what's been going on that you might or might not know about.

Waggy Walks

You should have heard about this one! The digital team (minus Lo who sadly can't make it) is getting ready for the six-mile trek around Finsbury Park on Sunday and is fundraising furiously. Many thanks to those who have already chipped in. At work, we've been organising emails to thousands of people encouraging them to join the near-4,000 who have already signed up for the walk. You can still come along on the day if you haven't registered; just come along to the starting point of the walk between 9 and 10am to let us know you're walking. Check out the website to find the event nearest to you.

New Website

We've been mumbling about a new website for some time now, and it looks as though we'll be able to reveal all by the end of the year. But as the various pre-launch milestones come thick and fast we're furiously working away, making lists and - like Santa - checking them twice, to ensure that copy is accurate, links work and all the new features we're dying to show off work properly. Stick with us - we think you'll like what's coming!

ICAWC

The International Companion Animal Welfare Conference has just been and gone, bringing together 280 delegates from 38 countries and 107 animal welfare groups. Covering everything from veterinary issues to shelter management and fundraising, the expert speakers did a fantastic job in sharing information that is key to those trying to help animals around the world. Jacqui was there to do her bit by running a workshop all about digital marketing and website building on restricted budgets. The presentations are now available online for viewing and download; watch the website for details about the 2010 conference.

Q&A

Meanwhile, Jacqui, Lo and I might be quieter than normal at the moment, but we are definitely listening and responding to all your questions, be they in our supporter inbox, on Facebook, via Twitter, through Bebo, at the DoggySnaps forum or on any of our other online pages. Please keep questions and comments coming; we're always happy to help.

By the way, remember I told you that John Barrowman's fans made a generous donation in honour of his debut in La Cage aux Folles? Well we also just received a whopping £1451.90 from the eBay auction of two pairs of his tights from his last panto season (there was a website-related delay which meant it's only been confirmed now). It's official: we love the man and we love his fans!

Dogs Trust Dublin takes shape ready for autumn launch

Excitement around our brand new Dublin centre is mounting as the centre buildings are finally recognisable! The interiors are taking shape, too, as with the kennel block photo above. We have glass doors these days because they are less stressful to the dog and they're at an angle so that visitors can see better and the dogs don't get stressed staring at each other!

You can see more photos on the website. For general information and updates about Dublin, visit www.dogstrust.ie.