Donata Baars, an animal care professional working in Bahrain, writes:-
Bahrain is a small island country in the Middle East, attached to
Saudi Arabia by a causeway. It is a thriving country that has grown immensely
in the last 40 years on all fronts of its economy. The only thing that seems to
be falling behind is the welfare of the many animals that Bahrain has.
Indigenous, exotic, wild, owned and stray. But there is definitely progress;
Bahrain is working hard on improving its animal welfare!
On Friday the 13th April, Bahrain held its very first PetExpo! It
was the first time ever that an event was organized that was all about the
welfare of animals in general and stray dogs in particular. On the main stage, important
issues were discussed. There was the first time showing of the movie about
Baloo, a rescue dog that turned into a therapy dog for autistic children. The
vet that works very closely with the BSPCA (Bahrain Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals) talked about how to administer first aid to your pet
when a veterinarian is not directly available.
Last but not least a discussion was held between animal welfare
advocates about the situation of the stray dogs in Bahrain; how to reduce the
stray dog population humanely, how to respond to a stray dog approaching you,
the importance of spaying and neutering your pets, how to achieve a better
human-dog interaction and much, much, more. As an animal care professional, I
was invited to speak and represent a more scientific approach to stray dog
management. With support from the JMICAWE team including Dr. Heather Bacon and VN
Hayley Walters I was presenting an evidence-based approach to managing a stray dog
population and the need for an on-going Catch-Neuter-Return programme. Heather
and Hayley's knowledge and input was invaluable to having a meaningful
discussion at the event. As a result a full feature article will be printed in
next month’s Salaam Bahrain magazine!
Of course there were games, food sales and a shopping bazaar but they
were also there to entice people to come and thus learn more about the welfare
of animals. Not only were pet shops represented but also veterinary clinics and
the local rescue groups that do so much in Bahrain for the welfare of the stray
dogs.
Donata Baars
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