ICAM (International Companion Animal Management Coalition)

How to spot an animal who has contracted Rabies? ⚠️ Viewer Discretion Advised ⚠️ This video by Mission Rabies is an excellent visual aid in identifying animals (dogs) who have contracted Rabies. To avoid misdiagnosis and creating fear amongst a community we encourage everyone to look out for these *ALPHA* signs in the event of a suspected case of rabies in an animal. ⚠️ Aggression (unprovoked or abnormal and/or has bitten multiple people in a *short* space of time) ⚠️ Lethargy ⚠️ Paralysis (wobbly or uneven walk) ⚠️ Hyper-salivating ⚠️ Abnormal vocalisation If you or someone you know is bitten by a dog or cat, also find out if possible whether the animal has been vaccinated, by speaking to the animal’s owner. Strays who have been sterilsed by community TNR programmes also receive an Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and can be identified by a notch in their ear and also via a tattoo inside their ears. But,dogs and cats can outlive the immunity provided by vaccination if its not boostered ❗ Therefore, always exercise caution, if you are unsure of their vaccination status, and if there are any of these ALPHA signs, get yourself to a healthcare professional immediately. And remember that washing the wound with soap and water for 15 mins helps to kill both the rabies virus and other pathogens - so act fast! Rabies is a fatal disease once symptoms develop, but is 99% preventable through vaccination. Please support vaccination of pets and stray animals in your community - and protect yourself if you are bitten by getting prompt post-exposure treatment. 🫶 💉 Please share widely with your community if you live in a rabies-endemic region to better understand the affects of this disease. #zeroby30 #EndRabies #TNVR

🚨 Exciting news! The amazing research team at Dogs Trust has developed the most detailed estimate of the UK dog population to date! 🐕🎉 This huge achievement will help us to understand the UK dog population in detail - where they live, their breed, age and potential welfare challenges like flat faces. And the best part? They'll be repeating this research, so we’ll have even more data in the future! Over time, this will provide valuable insights for improving dog population management strategies. A huge congratulations to Dogs Trust on their hard work to provide the UK with these vital insights!

Tools like Global Alliance for Rabies Control's vaccination and sterilisation tracker can help organisations keep track of their outputs and secure support for sustaining their work, as Neighbourhood Woof has done in Delhi.

Are you surprised to hear news of cat TNR in Germany? 🐈⬛ A recent effort between Humane Society International Humane Society International - Europe and their partners in #Germany involved sterilising 1,176 cats in Schleswig-Holstein in just 2 months at the end of 2024. 🫶 We are used to hearing about TNR programmes in countries of the global south, but this is a reminder that humane cat management programmes are a global requirement, even in wealthy countries such as Germany. Due to our feline friends’ ability to stay invisible in urban and forest settings and their infamous high fecundity, their populations always need managing, to limit population growth and ensure their welfare. Regular #TNR programmes therefore not only make sure to manage these populations on site but also avoid the need to bring them into shelters, where they can become very stressed by the unfamiliar and restrictive environment and face long adoption queues. If you are a cat carer or someone who organises cat TNR in a country such as Germany, what are your thoughts about this? Do you agree that TNR might always be a necessity? 🤔 📸 by Humane Society International https://lnkd.in/d7R-e-gq

Ever wondered how a community ‘Spay-Neuter and Vaccination’ programme is run? 🥰 Part II of BBC World Service Health Check’s focus on ‘One Health’ in Malawi is now available to listen online. 🎧 via https://lnkd.in/d5-kAqid or https://lnkd.in/dAt2sBSn #BBC #HealthCheck podcast team continues to explore the concept of #OneHealth, where the health of humans, animals and the environment are all inter-linked. This episode highlights the importance of spaying and vaccinating owned and stray dogs. Listen to how vets from the Lilongwe Society for the Protection Care Animals organise and conduct a community spay-neuter and vaccination programme. They also speak to owners about why vaccinating and sterilisation of their dogs is important to them. 🤗 Aim of programmes such as these is to ultimately help protect both dog owners and the community, through: ⭐️Rabies vaccination - which offers direct protection to the individual dogs but also increases herd immunity which protects everyone from rabies spread. ⭐️Sterilisation - which will decrease certain health and behavioural issues, and prevent unwanted births that would otherwise lead to a family being overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for more animals than they expected. In countries like #Malawi where rabies is most prevalent and where low-income families cannot afford to vaccinate and sterilise their own dogs or the community dogs, programmes such as these offer vital support that will improve the relationships between dogs and their people while collectively protecting all from deadly diseases such as Rabies. 🫶#ZeroBy30 Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/d5-kAqid or https://lnkd.in/dAt2sBSn WTG e.V. | Welttierschutzgesellschaft 📸 credit to Lilongwe Society for the Protection Care Animals

🚨 Debunking the "Stray Dog Danger" Narrative 🚨 Yesterday, we shared how veterinarians in Badulla, Sri Lanka have revealed that dog bite attacks are primarily caused by pets, not strays. Today, we are sharing a similar news article, this time from Pakistan - this article dives deeper into why the narrative of dangerous stray dogs is misleading and problematic for both communities and animals. In this article, ProPakistani highlights how a viral dog attack video has sparked public outcry over Pakistan's stray dog issue, but emphasizes the need for a humane, sustainable solution. 🔍 Key Points to Consider: 1. Culling Doesn't Work: Culling stray dogs is ineffective long-term and doesn't address the root causes, with rapid replenishment of populations following culling. 2. Religion: Many faiths, including Islam, call for compassion towards animals, making culling inconsistent with these values. 3. Violence: Cruelty towards animals can lead to greater violence in society. We must promote empathy and kindness. 4. Better Solutions: Spaying/neutering, supporting responsible ownership and adoption programs offer humane, proven alternatives to culling. Read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dpC6HfeD Let’s challenge harmful narratives and work towards real, compassionate solutions. 🐾 Together, we can create a safer, kinder world for both people and animals. 💖

In Sri Lanka, an increase in dog bites in Badulla district has led to fears about the spread of dog-mediated Rabies. In situations such as these, the immediate reaction is to blame stray dogs. 😞 However, *Sri Lankan Association of Veterinarians for Humane Management of Animal Population* have shown that 95% of these bites from a total of 6,700 recorded in the past year were in reality from owned animals and not from unowned or strays, and that these bites have occurred primarily in homes. The group has also emphasised that 60% of dogs who are not owned but live in community areas such as temples and public areas (which account for about 8% of the total dog population) have also been sterilised and vaccinated, removing the risk of rabies. The same should be true of owned pets, but education of owners and offering low-cost or free services for people who cannot afford to sterilise their pets is needed to increase much needed coverage. Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara, an advisor to the association’s board, has also stressed the importance of enacting laws such as the ‘Rabies Ordinance’ and the ‘Animal Welfare Act’ in the country to promote responsible pet ownership. 🐕 🐈 This situation in Sri Lanka emphasises the paramount importance of enacting all these steps in any rabies-endemic region to avoid rash actions such as culling in the fear of a rabies outbreak. Details related to this news article can be found here: https://lnkd.in/drnFm3yv

What do YOU think? 🤔 In San Diego, USA, cat lovers remained divided after the city’s Humane Society was taken to court over their Trap Neuter Return (TNR) practices. 🐈 The plaintiff, another local rescue, has argued that San Diego Humane Society (HS) needs better screening processes to determine which community cats can be returned after spaying, and it should be assumed that if the cats are "friendly", they should be taken into the shelter and put up for adoption. Failing to do so, can be classed as abandonment. San Diego HS, however stated that the petitioner’s arguments were, “profoundly-unscientific, unsupported, naïve, and mistaken ideas” and that their Community Cats Programme was designed by “actual experts in shelter medicine and community cat programs.” Their witnesses at trial also included veterinarians board-certified in shelter medicine. There are many aspects to this argument and many contexts in which TNR takes place and we’d like to know whether YOU have specific criteria in your own organisation on how you decide which individual animals are suitable for return after spay/neuter (and vaccination)? Article related to this news item can be found here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dARPPAm8 Alley Cat Allies International Cat Care FOUR PAWS

https://lnkd.in/expkdBsp This BBC World Service Trust Health Check episode on #OneHealth covers the brilliant work of Lilongwe SPCA's (https://lnkd.in/eK7aFdfP) vets in Malawi, and their contributions to the health of people, animals and the environment. With "70-75% of diseases in people actually originating from animals", it is clear why this interplay is so important. Lilongwe SPCA's vaccination of dogs protects animals and people from rabies. This episode also covers the zoonotic disease anthrax and the issue of anti-microbial resistance. We're also looking forward to the next episode which will focus on a spay/neuter field clinic!

ICAM hopes you have a pawsome 2025! 🐈🎉