Cairns West Animal Management Trial
When owners lack basic knowledge of how to adequately care for their animals, coupled with financial/social limitations inhibiting access to basic veterinary care, the result is uncontrolled breeding, poor animal behaviour, risk to human health and safety, and at the very worst, unnecessary animal death.
The purpose of the Cairns West Animal Management 3 Year Pilot Program is gaining an understanding of the number of dogs in our community that have previously been unaccounted for through lack of self registration and auditing initiatives and implementing strategies to improve both animal and owner behaviour in the Cairns community.
The Pilot is focused in a low socio economic area where there is a significant proportion of public housing, and prevalence of animal behavioural issues.
The Pilot encompasses three components:
1. On ground data collection:
- Getting all un-registered animals registered with Council, helping quantify the number of animals in public housing dwellings that have not previously been identified as part of registration auditing
- Developing trust and rapport with residents through regular face to face contact
- Monitoring of behaviour, living conditions and health of animals in the target area
2. Veterinary treatments:
- Administering of microchip so that dogs can be easily identified and returned to owners if captured out wandering
- Administering of temporary desexing implant with owners consent to prevent uncontrolled/unwanted breeding
- Administering of parasite treatment to improve the health of animals and community
- Administering of Parvo vaccinations for young dogs to prevent unnecessary death
3. Community education – lifting the standard of animal care:
- Support and education for animal owners through distribution of educative material
- Childhood education campaigns, encouraging inter-generational change
The Program has created open communication between Local and State Government representatives assisting with people and animal management in public housing.
