The Autonomous non-profit organization
"The Guardianship Charitable Society of Homeless Animals"
What is behind "humane sterilization" of homeless animals in Moscow?
In August, 2004, many central mass media announced of the forthcoming homeless animals sterilization campaign in Moscow scheduled for September and October. Nearly all newspapers and news telecasts were euphonically broadcasting about the bombastic plans of the city authorities to sterilize "up to 70% of homeless cats and dogs living in the streets of Moscow". For example, the "Moskovsky Komsomolets" cheerfully reported that as many as 8 thousand animal units would be sterilized by the end of October.However, those who are familiar with the problem of homeless animals in Moscow, albeit superficially, realize that the only truth in these reports was that Rbls. seven million was actually allocated for the campaign. Trouble is that nobody knows where that money has gone: the average performance of the only (!) team of vet doctors from the Independent Non-profit Organization (NPO) "TESS" that participated in the campaign is 3 dogs a day, and maximum length of the campaign is two months, while the vet doctors do not work a full week, sometimes even two days a week.
The venue of the campaign is the animal orphanage at Rassvetnaya Alley. The dogs are kept in open-air cages there for no less than two weeks (in October, light morning frosts are not uncommon). A shorter period of stay at the orphanage is inadmissible because, according to the orphanage personnel, most dogs develop suture problems: the suture either opens up or will not heal properly. This is not only a problem of a very low level surgeon skills, but of the suture material. The suture material used is the cheapest, not biodegradable. A TESS doctor, however, declined the best, most reliable suture material that was to be given to him as a present. The cat guardian Nina Vladimirovna told us that she had brought a wild cat to Rassvetnaya Alley for sterilization, and after the operation the suture was sewn up with non-biodegradable threads the doctors refused to remove the suture. As a result, the woman had to pay Rbls. 1000 to hire the netting specialists who caught the cat in the cage, whereupon the cat was given an anaesthetic a second time and the suture was removed. Natalya Mikhailovna, a dog guardian, bought with her own money a dog-tattooing instrument to present it to the doctors, because no body marks the dogs. But will the present be of any use, if, as we found out, the order not to mark the dogs had been issued by the authorities?
During the campaign, the orphanage personnel, and above all the orphanage vet doctors nursed the animals back to health themselves after the animals had been operated on by TESS. The sutures had to be cleansed 2 times a day. That was in addition to care of the permanent residents of the orphanage (over 300 dogs and around 80 cats).
Sterilization of a dog, with netting and keeping at an orphanage, costs around Rbls. 2000. It is easy to figure that during the campaign, maximum number of dogs that will be sterilized will not exceed 200. Will the money not used for the purpose be returned to the budget, or will the authorities report that all seven million has been spent successfully for sterilization?
It is most likely that the report will say that besides the TESS vet clinic, vet doctors of the Cherry Clinic took an active part in the campaign. It is impossible to verify this, anyway (nobody will run after the dogs, asking them whether or not they were sterilized): thus is the corner-stone of the campaign. And this campaign, like the entire homeless animals sterilization program developed by Moscow Government, is phoney. Even if all Rbls. Seven million had really been used for sterilization, roughly 3 thousand animals could have been sterilized, which makes a little under 2% (two per cent!) of all homeless animals (dogs and cats) that inhabit Moscow.
To check (but not to reduce) the growing numbers of homeless dogs and cats by means of sterilization, two conditions must be met: at least 80% of homeless animals must be sterilized at a time and the practice of throwing out into the streets of more animals must be stopped. The answer to the question, what should be done not only to actually minimize the number of indigent animals in the streets, but to ensure their well-being "in a humane manner", you will find in materials of this site.
P.S. On October 11, we learned that the Fauna Section had ordered the NPO "TESS" to stop all animals sterilization activities at Rassvetnaya Alley. Apparently, this should be regarded as an end to the "mass sterilization" campaign. It is not clear, however, what will happen to the cat that were delivered to the orphanage for sterilization, but were not sterilized.
11.10.2004., site editor.