It has been agreed. It is now official. The history books will not be filled with rabies by 2030.
A conference was held in Geneva last week by key players and government officials to discuss how to achieve this goal. Our campaign director, Beryl Munono-Watkiss and our CEO Steve McIvor were present to ensure that the cruel culling of dogs was not an option.
The conference was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Their strategy is to implement three steps to eradicate rabies. The first is to ensure that people get the correct treatment following a dog bite. To make rabies vaccinations more affordable. Three – To mass vaccinate dogs against Rabies.
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Dogs are protected when rabies is eliminated
This is a significant step towards ending inhumane dog killings. We are happy that WHO, OIE, and FAO have accepted it. These organisations now stand with us. They have enormous influence on governments around the globe. Millions of dogs could be spared from rabies and the threat of death.
We were also joined by officials from China, Zanzibar, and Bangladesh who have been involved in our previous work to eliminate rabies. Our approach to eliminating rabies has been proven effective by running dog vaccination programs in each of these countries. In China, our pilot sites have not reported any human rabies deaths. Zanzibar has not seen any deaths. Bangladesh is also well on its way towards achieving this goal.
But the work doesn’t end there. There is still much to be done. As part of the rabies elimination strategy, we want to see humane dog populations management.
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Better lives for dogs
Dogs living in developing countries have short lifespans. Dogs in the developing world have short lives. If a dog’s owner dies, they might bring in another dog, or breed puppies that are not vaccinated. The disease can again threaten an area’s dog population. It is vital that all dogs within an area be vaccinated against Rabies, and that they are properly cared for so that they can live happy, healthy, long lives.
One step toward better living conditions for dogs all over the world is vaccinating them against rabies. For the protection of all dogs, governments must establish humane dog population management strategies. This will ensure that rabies is eradicated permanently.
These global organizations have made a significant contribution to our fight for better living conditions for dogs. We must continue to work to ensure that dogs live the life they deserve.
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Speciesism: Why do we care so much about certain animals more than others?
A friend recently sent me this video of some trained rats. It got me thinking about speciesism. What makes us care so much about cuddly, fluffy animals?
This video features beautiful rats who have been taught a variety of tricks. This video is always a highlight of my day. It shows a animal that was once considered a pest in a completely new light. Unfortunately, every year thousands of rats are shot as pests using inhumane and unregulated methods.
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Emotional rats
Research on the ability of rats to feel emotions is extensive. They have a wide range of emotions that rivals humans (Balcombe 2010, Proctor, Carder and Cornish, 2013). Researchers have shown that rats can show their pain by their facial expressions just like humans (Sotocinal Sorge & Zaloum 2011, 2011).
Research also shows that rats can be empathic towards their cagemates. Research has shown that rats can be emotionally able to release their cage mate if they encounter them in a cage. Even if they were given chocolate, the rat would do it. They will then free their cagemate and share their chocolate with them (Bartal Decety, Mason, 2011). Would you do that for your friend? Empathy is something that we often think only humans can do, but it isn’t.
Despite all the research on the emotional lives and behavior of rats, people continue to treat them in the same way they treat their pets. Pet shops sell rat poison and lethal traps for rats, as well as treats and toys for dogs. Both dogs and rats can feel pain, suffering, and can also experience joy and pleasure. If you still need convincing, watch the amazing video below by Professor Jaak Panksepp. He demonstrates that rats love being tickled and will find it. However, they also enjoy laughing when tickled (Panksepp and Burgdorf, 2003).
Speciesism
We care more about the feelings and well-being of cats and dogs than we do rats or farm animals like chickens. It doesn’t matter if the animal is feathery, fluffy, or scaly; if it lives with us or comes to us on a plate. It doesn’t matter if the animal is intelligent. It is what the animal can sense that matters most.