ICAWC 2013 - Urska Markelj's presentation on Improving Dog Welfare Within a Difficult Community & How to Bring Municiplities Along With You

1. Improving Dog Welfare Within a
Difficult And Marginalised Community
&
How to Bring Municipalities Along
With You
Roma Settlements
Urska Markelj
SPA Pomurje

2. Short presentation of Pomurje
Society
•Small NGO in NE Slovenia with a large Roma
community in area (28 settlements)
•Working WITH, not against Roma community
with the help of DogsTrust

3. Roma Settlements
• History And Marginalisation:
– Moved onto private land, built illegal
settlements
– Never tried to “fit in”, including no real respect
for law; “ghetto” situation
– Large cultural, linguistic differences from local
residents
• Different situations in different
settlements, but all problematic.

4. Roma Settlements – present day
• Illegally built settlements, poverty,
unemployment, poor education
• Residents weary of any “outsiders”, often quite
aggressive
Photo: Jure Erzen

5. Roma Settlements – present day
• Linguistic differences (some unable to speak
Slovene)
• Very marginalised community, issues between
Roma community, the rest of Pomurje residents
and officials persist

6. SPA Pomurje in Roma
Settlements
How it all started:
• We received a report of neglected dog in
Roma setlement
• Found that ALL dogs lived in deplorable
conditions
• Veterinary service refused to enter the
setlement; too dangerous
• From first settlement followed the trail of
puppies

7. SPA Pomurje in Roma
Settlements
At the beginning
• Mistrust (Settlements often avoided even by
police and veterinary services), fear
• Aggression (members threathened by axes,
fireams, …)

8. Work With Dogs in Settlements
Beginning
Settlements overwhelmed with intact dogs
Example: Dobrovnik settlement (smallest): 3
houses, 18 dogs. (Today there are 3 spayed /
neutered dogs)
Brina

9. Work With Dogs in Settlements
Beginning
• Puppies were given and traded amongst
settlements and families
Enja

10. Work With Dogs in Settlements
Beginning
• Adult dogs in deplorable conditions

11. Work With Dogs in Settlements
Beginning
• No support from authorities
• If dogs would get culled (illegal today) or
confiscated, new dogs would replace them in
within days - no emotional attachments to
animals;
• If there was attachment,
dogs would get hidden
from authorities
The situation called for a
different approach
Don

12. Work Principles
• Work with, not against residents, basically
work with people
• Going for the root cause
• Treating residents with respect, without
prejudice; try to see it from their
perspective

13. Work Principles
• Following approach:
“Not re-homing an animal, but
changing its home – where applicable”
• Essentially changing families.

14. Work Principles
• Gaining trust !!! Takes years!
(many very sweet turkish coffees  )
• Individual approach for every family,
according to their “weak spot”

15. Work Principles
• Making them accept their dogs in another,
better way / raising the value of the dog
• Grooming:

16. Work Principles
• Making them accept their dogs in another,
better way / raising the value of the dog
• Training

17. Work Principles
• Walks – strenthening of connection with
dogs, dogs can be fun; walking clubs

18. Work Principles
• Presenting advantages of neutering –
good for them
• Fostering schemes
• Enforcement only with very bad cases or
when the majority of community have
accepted the value of their dogs
• Gathering donated leashes,
collars, brushes, etc

19. Work Principles
• Children education (reaching parents
through them )

20. Work Principles
• SPA P. never pays for microchipping and
vaccination to make them understand the
responsibility and costs involved with
owning an animal
• Kids have to do homework for collars and
leashes if they have lost (traded) them –
train the dog (video)

21. • “Homework” video
• http://youtu.be/Kwn9XHAjjyA
• 16.7.2013 Domača naloga.MOV

23. Some stats
• Owerall about 70% of dogs spayed /
neutered
• There are several settlements that
haven’t had any litter in last 3 years
• There are few settlements (probably the
first  ) that have ALL dogs
microchipped, vaccinated and spayed /
neutered (even we never dared hope for
this)

24. Municipalities
• Based on results, SPA Pomurje started
approaching municipalities (27 in the
region), police and veterinary services
First reaction: “One cannot work within
Roma settlements”
The authorities were VERY surprised
something could actually be done

25. Municipalities
• Most were very hard to reach in the beginning
• Approached already with results (gaining their
attention by success)
• Principle of approach: long-term lowering of
municipal costs by prevention – municipalities
are saving money by donating it to SPA Pomurje;
making them understand the importance of
prevention

26. Municipalities
• Often municipalities used argument that there is
not even enough resources for “poor” people,
definitely not for animals.
– Lower costs due to prevention = more resources for
people (municipalities are small).
• Now some mayors have already gotten involved,
visited settlements together with vet to explain
the importance of microchipping and regular
vaccination (an infected dog would endanger Roma
children)
• SPA Pomurje is using more succesfull
municipalities as example in negotiations with
other municipalities

27. Municipalities
• Few numbers
– I.e. entire Pomurje region in 2010: 150.000€ of shelter
costs; municipalities didn’t know precisely what are
they paying for
– 2012: 100.000€
– Costs are progressively lowering

28. Municipalities – successes
• Financial support (limited; poor small
municipalities)
Črenšovci municipality: “Tightening of belt
– Budget adopted – The only approach is saving – 1.000€
for SPA of Pomurje”
“with their activities they spared another 6.000€ of municipal
money, as the Crensovci municipality’s shelter costs have
lowered significantly”

29. Municipalities – successes
• Publishing of information in municipal
publications
• Donated offices for SPA of Pomurje (huge!  )

30. Municipalities – successes
• Co-financing of 3 staff
• Presence of mayors in Roma settlements
• Cooperation of municipal representatives in
adopting new legislation
• Cooperation between municipalities and other
authorities (veterinary, police, …)

31. Additional
• Cooperation with the police
• Cooperation with Veterinary service
• “Radio Romic”

32. Case Studies
Kamenci settlement
• Red dots: unspayed females 2009
• Pink dots: spayed females 2013

33. Case Studies
Suza

34. Case Studies
Suza
• Owner calls us every day to report
how Suza is, paid vet costs for his
sister’s dog, …

35. Case Studies
“Sharpei” family
• Owner’s plan: breeding and selling
(monetary gain)
• Loads of persuation + PATIENCE: Puppies
rehomed (for free); 2 (now) spayed
“Sharpei” remained with the family

36. Case Studies
Aika

37. Case Studies
Brina

38. Case Studies
Omica

39. Case Studies
Pika

40. Thank you for attention
Thank You, DogsTrust!