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SOS Dogs Oradea is a joint project funded and run by Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs Home and North Shore Animal League with the support of the local Mayor.
The 'catch, neuter and return'
project aims to reduce Oradea’s
large stray dog population
through humane methods. With
an estimated 3,500 dogs living
in the town and surrounding
areas in 2003, Oradea and
its people were in need of a
fast, effective stray population
control. By setting up a neutering clinic run by local vets, staff and volunteers, the aim is for the stray dog population to decline, until eventually there are no stray dogs left.
More traditional methods of stray control, such as poisoning or shooting, are not humane and have proved ineffective. If the strays are killed a vacuum is created, more puppies survive to breed and dogs from other areas will simply move in and replace them. An ongoing programme of neutering the dogs is the only method which can make a significant difference.
The idea for the neutering
project originally came from
Mr Robert Smith, a British
businessman. Mr Smith is an
animal lover who has already
spent a substantial amount
of his own money on helping stray dogs in Istanbul, Turkey and in Campina, Romania. Mr Smith decided to help the dogs of Oradea and called on the three charities to help him.
As of June 2005 the dedicated team at SOS Dogs Oradea have neutered over 2,319 dogs since the inception of the 'catch, neuter and release' programme. They have also rehomed over 724 dogs from the centre into homes around the area, including one to the mayor of the city.
Staff from the charities visit regularly to help train the SOS team to operate the project from day to day. The centre now has nine staff including two veterinary surgeons.
The clinic is based in three buildings that were completed just before the centre’s opening in September 2003. Improvements such as better cages for post-operative recovery and isolation compounds to prevent cross-infection have been made over the years to improve conditions for the care of sick, recovering and injured dogs. A fourth building has now been built which provides maternity care and puppy accommodation.
A local school education programme was launched at the same time as SOS Dogs Oradea, with a schools pack promoting dogs and their welfare to assist in English lessons for children aged 7 to 11. Over 800 of these packs have been distributed to 20 schools in the area and have become a valuable teaching tool. The enthusiasm of local teachers has allowed the programme to really take off and start to make a real difference to the mindset of the local community towards street dogs. A programme of teaching and school talks by a dedicated member of staff has also been developed as well as materials for younger children.
SOS Dogs Oradea is still in its infancy. However, it is proving successful even at this early stage. Plans are afoot to use this project as an example of how the stray animal population can be controlled humanely and a template is currently being written which can be used and adapted throughout the world.
As for the stray dog population on Oradea, Romania…. The future is looking a lot brighter!
"Dogs Trust is working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction."
