May 2020 – Stray Dogs in Strumica Awareness Week
There are in excess of more than 5000 stray dogs across the City of Strumica by some estimates. Stray dog overpopulation causes serious welfare concerns and disruption to local communities and ecosystems. During Stray Dogs in Strumica Awareness Month the Animal Lovers Strumica is encouraging members of the public who are in contact with a stray dogs to take part in Capture, Neuter, and Return (CNR) to help tackle the issues that accompany stray dog overpopulation.
We have created a simple form for anyone interested in participating, to sign it up and inform other people who could possibly be willing to participate. Animal Lovers Strumica will be raising funds to support this programme and other similar in the upcoming months.
Please sign up ONLY if you know or you are taking care of a stray dog that doesn’t have owners and its chipped.
Below are some frequently asked questions with answers about stray dogs, CNR, and what to do if you see stray dog in your area:
Many dogs are left behind when their owners are no longer willing to look after them or have moved house. In some cases dogs have been dumped, are lost, or sadly their owners have passed away. Of course there are also those dogs that are born on the streets. These dogs are starving and scavenging in order to survive. Their offspring will be strays as well, meaning they have not had interaction with humans and are often afraid of us. If they are not spayed or neutered, stray dogs and their offspring continue to multiply.
Capture, Neuter and Return (CNR) means that stray dogs are humanely captured, neutered by a vet and returned to the site where they were once in good health. We will “mark” the neutered dog, meaning they will have bright color collars that will point out that the dog has been neutered. Dogs undergoing CNR are also health checked, vaccinated and treated for parasites.
CNR is the most humane solution to stabilise stray dog populations, and has also been shown to be the least costly. Over time the number of dogs will naturally decline as CNR halts the breeding cycle. In addition, undesirable and disruptive behaviour associated with mating—such as fighting is eliminated. This should mean that local community residents will experience less noise and the chance of dangerous attacks.. Additionally, CNR improves the dogs’ health and lifespan.
Animal Lovers Strumica will manage to cover the expenses from 20 dogs for 1 month. Signing up for this program is mandatory and FREE of charge for anyone that will be interested in adding their local stray dogs on the list.
The number of dogs for this program is limited
Please contact us for more details.
This was a widespread view in the past— one that was even shared by some vets— but this recommendation was based on opinion rather than hard fact. There is no evidence to suggest that allowing a dog to have a litter of puppies confers any health benefits. The best veterinary advice now is that in the vast majority of cases, spay/neuter is the healthier option and should be the natural choice.
The latest advice from vets is that in most cases, spaying and neutering should be carried out at an earlier age than was previously suggested. In general, both male and female cast should be neutered/spayed at/after 8 months of age. While this is earlier than previously recommended, it is not the expert international recommendation, so please seek advice from your vet.
Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
Many people think that by doing this they are not contributing to the overpopulation of dogs in our city. Even though these puppies end up in good homes, they will take the place for abandoned puppies that will end up in shelters or on the street.
If members of your community are complaining about the dogs and pushing for an alternative solution, Animal Lovers believe that the best way forward is education. Do your best to talk to your neighbours about CNR and explain the benefits, and how over time it will reduce the number of dogs in the area naturally and humanely. You can explain to them that relocating the dogs or euthanising them will only create a ‘vacuum effect’, in which a new colony of dogs will eventually come in and take over the area, perpetuating the problem. In addition, relocation may be stressful for the dogs that are being moved, and for any dogs that may be in the area they are moved to. If the dogs are moved to an area that did not previously have a colony of dogs, it can have a detrimental effect on the local wildlife.
- Spaying reduces risk of certain illnesses, such as pyometra (a common, life-threatening infection of the uterus) or mammary gland cancer.
- Spaying saves you from dealing with males who are wildly attracted to your dog in heat.
- You don’t have to choose between a dog in sanitary pads or mess all over your house. Leaving her in the backyard so she won’t make a mess inside is not a good choice unless you’re purposely trying to mate her to the most persistent male in the area.
- Spaying eliminates the rather unattractive (read: totally offensive) odor often associated with a dog in heat. Your nose may not be as sensitive as your dog’s, but even you will be able to smell this.
Castration eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chance of prostate disease, two extremely common and serious problems of older male dogs. Many older dogs that are not neutered will develop prostate disease or testicular tumors if they survive to an old enough age.
