Our European Director, Ruud Tombrock, says: “We are hugely concerned to hear reports that authorities in Sochi are taking drastic steps to ‘clean up’ their streets of dogs and cats ahead of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
“The mass killing of these animals is not, and never will be the answer. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (now known as World Animal Protection) has long been campaigning to end this cruel practice and we urge the Sochi authorities to abandon any attempts of culling dogs or cats as a way of controlling the stray and roaming populations of the city. Humane practices do exist and should be the first choice of a city currently under the world’s spotlight.”
We will continue to work with Governments around the world to examine their reasons for culling and to provide humane solutions that involve local communities and are tailored to the problems they face.
Our experience shows that stray dog populations can be effectively managed through responsible pet ownership and humane population management practices.
