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• Importing an Animal to Australia
• Process for Exporting Cats and Dogs to Canada
• Should you spay or neuter your pet? We think yes and this is why.
• Taiwan and CNR according to Sean McCormack, Founder of Animals Taiwan
• Test a puppy's personality

Catch-Neuter-Release in Bali

The Trust specializes in Catch-Neuter-Release (CNR) , which has been proven to be successful in Bali and other countries as the only sustainable method for humanely managing dog populations in countries such as Sri Lanka , Bali, Thailand and India.

CNR is a quick and efficient way of manage community dogs. When done using modern techniques and materials it does not require days of sheltering for recovery before the animals can be released back to its territory. Usually the animals can be released the same day, with no further treatment required, and without requiring sheltering during recover, which is the logistical weak link of non-same day release methods.

Many people find the same day release concept difficult to accept, but it is similar to the advances in human childbirth. Not that many years ago, the mother would be required to stay in the hospital for as many as five days. As a result of improved techniques and drugs, new mothers now often spend less than a full day in the hospital. Same day release methods are being adopted world wide for mass sterilizations and mobile field clinics have been now used for over 10 years world-wide as an effective way to implement same day CNR.

The Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust has adopted the HSI field clinic protocols developed and refined through the Yudisthira Foundation in Bali over the last six years. In the last two years, 23,000 spay/neuters have been done on Bali alone using these protocols, with a mortality rate of less than 0.1%. Surgery in mobile tent-based clinics allows us to move right into the community, but at the same time, we use the same asepsis and surgery protocols as a regular office clinic environment. We do not/will not compromise on materials, equipment, asepsis, surgical standards or operating procedures.

We sterilize males and females: we do both as a population control means, but we also do the males to reduce their aggressive behavior during mating season, which often causes problems for the people, including dog bites.

The female dogs also end up in better condition, not constantly exhausted from producing puppies and supporting their litter. The male dogs are calmer and fight less. They are also healthier after we treat for skin problems and parasites, and the rabies vaccinations reduce the risk of disease to humans. Members of the local community constantly mention to Trust personnel that their dogs and the community dogs are in general leading much better lives. This all contributes to a higher standard of welfare for both the animals and the people of Sri Lanka.

Dogs are caught in nets on the end of a long pole (like an oversized butterfly net) and brought to the Field Clinic:

Once the dogs are caught, they are transported to the field clinic:

As a target we seek to sterilize at least 75% of the animals in an area, which is the zero population growth point. We actually do as many as we can, hoping to attain the 90-95% range (and then return in several months to get those missed).

When the dog arrives:
        Medical Chart is assigned
        Dog is weighed and drug package prepared based on this weight
        Basic Physical exam conducted                               
        Premeds injected intramuscularly while the dog is still
        safely in the net                                   
        Surgery site is properly prepared aseptically
        IV Catheter put in place for surgery

Each dog is weighed to determine proper drugs and medications:

Dogs in que, already sedated and awaiting surgery prep:

Surgery prep:

The Surgery:

A major concern is the possible dehiscence (breakdown) of the muscle layer in females spay sites. These dogs are returning to an environment where they may have to fight for food. And if the female was in estrus at the time of surgery, males will still attempt to mate post-surgery. This presents a particular risk of wound breakdown. To mitigate this risk, we follow the suture protocol below using a maximum 3 cm (1.2 inch) incision:

4. Epidermal: Superglue. But please note that the superglue is neither for strength nor for holding the wound together but instead acts as a seal to prevent infection for up to 72 hours – a long acting antibiotic is also given to cover this period. The superglue seal also prevents flies from laying eggs in the wound

We have found this protocol to sufficiently protect the wound following surgery while the animals move about or lay in the dirt with the superglue acts as a barrier. 72 hours later the superglue peels off and leaves the wound already healing. The absorbable suture material does not require a return visit to the vet for removal. We also inject pain medication and vaccinate against rabies.

Dogs recovering after surgery. After they are well up and about, they are returned to the place they were caught or to owners:

Returning dogs to the exact place where they were caught :

The mortality rate for this work in Bali has been extremely low and follow ups at two and then four weeks have been routinely carried out by the field clinic there to all the villages revealed no ill effects. The local people have been happy to talk about the improvement in the dog’s conditions, and especially so where skin diseases have been treated.

The Trust specializes in sterilizing dogs, but Sri Lanka also has too many cats. So we also sterilize cats brought to the field clinic.

Our goal is to sterilize and vaccinate 8,000 animals per year in the tsunami zone and refugee camps.

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