Roundtable Held in Konotop

On March 15, 2018, a roundtable titled “Stray Animals on the Streets of Konotop: Solving Problems as a Community” was held in the city of Konotop, Sumy Oblast.

The event was attended by representatives of the city council, municipal services, public activists, and media.

AZOU Vice President Maryna Surkova emphasized that addressing the stray animal issue requires a comprehensive approach. She noted the importance of combining public education, implementing the trap-neuter-vaccinate-return method, and providing subsidies for pet sterilization.

Iryna Podvoyska, director of the “Good Home” center, stressed that sterilization is a more humane and economically beneficial alternative. She pointed out that this method reduces both the number of stray animals and dog bite incidents among residents.

City authorities proposed developing a stray animal population control program based on the experience of local animal protection organizations.

The meeting resulted in an agreement to implement a sterilization-based population control program, adopt pet keeping regulations for the city, and establish a sterilization and adoption center.