Street dog overpopulation is a serious and multi-faceted ethical, socioeconomic and public health problem in Valdivia, Chile. Canine overpopulation not only threatens the health of people, wildlife and agriculture, it also impacts the health and welfare of the dogs themselves. Disease, malnutrition and neglect, resulting from population surplus, are killing dogs in this region at an alarming rate and while there have been numerous attempts to deal with the problem, none of the proposed programs have resulted in a long-term and sustainable solution.
With the goal of working alongside local community members to develop a sustainable and culturally-appropriate canine management program, VWB/VSF members Elena and Guillermo traveled to Valdivia in fall 2008 to meet with local stakeholders and asses the situation. This initial step was met with overwhelming community support, which lead Elena and Guillermo to relocate from Duncan, BC and move to Valdivia in order to devote themselves full-time to the project. Starting this spring, Elena and Guillermo will be focusing on the second phase of a comprehensive program that will include organizing community workshops, conducting household surveys, data analysis, initiating vaccination and sterilization campaigns and developing an education outreach program for school-aged children.
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