Improving Dog Welfare Within a

Difficult And Marginalised Community

&

How to Bring Municipalities Along

With You

Urska Markelj

SPA Pomurje

Roma Settlements

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

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.

Roma Settlements – present day • Illegally built settlements, poverty,

unemployment, poor education

• Residents weary of any “outsiders”, often quite

aggressive

Photo: Jure Erzen

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

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

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, …)

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

Work With Dogs in Settlements

Beginning • Puppies were given and traded amongst

settlements and families

Enja

Work With Dogs in Settlements

Beginning • Adult dogs in deplorable conditions

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

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

Work Principles

• Following approach:

“Not re-homing an animal, but

changing its home – where applicable”

• Essentially changing families.

Work Principles • Gaining trust !!! Takes years!

(many very sweet turkish coffees )

• Individual approach for every family,

according to their “weak spot”

Work Principles • Making them accept their dogs in another,

better way / raising the value of the dog

• Grooming:

Work Principles • Making them accept their dogs in another,

better way / raising the value of the dog

• Training

Work Principles • Walks – strenthening of connection with

dogs, dogs can be fun; walking clubs

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

Work Principles

• Children education (reaching parents

through them )

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)

• “Homework” video

• http://youtu.be/Kwn9XHAjjyA

• 16.7.2013 Domača naloga.MOV

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)

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

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

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

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

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”

Municipalities – successes • Publishing of information in municipal

publications

• Donated offices for SPA of Pomurje (huge! )

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, …)

Additional

• Cooperation with the police

• Cooperation with Veterinary service

• “Radio Romic”

Case Studies Kamenci settlement

• Red dots: unspayed females 2009

• Pink dots: spayed females 2013

Case Studies

Suza

Case Studies

Suza

• Owner calls us every day to report

how Suza is, paid vet costs for his

sister’s dog, …

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

Case Studies

Aika

Case Studies

Brina

Case Studies

Omica

Case Studies

Pika

Thank you for attention

Thank You, DogsTrust!