Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...

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Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...
Them Cheeky Dogs
  Challenges & Opportunities in
    Remote Community Animal
                 Management

                       Northern Institute
People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018
                    Dr Bonny Cumming
               Project Officer – AMRRIC
Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...
Overview
Value of companion animals

Impacts of unmanaged populations

Ingredients of effective companion
animal management

AMRRICs work

Opportunities
Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...
Overview

                           Across the nation:
• About AMRRIC
                            • 62% of households own
• Companion animal health and management
                              pets       challenges
 in remote communities
                            • Two in five households
                              have
• AMRRIC’s approach to improving   dogs health
                                 community

• Oliver Ankin’s story     • Three in ten households
                             have cats
                         Data: Animal Medicines Australia, 2016, ‘Pet
                         Ownership in Australia’
Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...
Companionship
Northern Institute People. Policy. Place. Seminar Feb 2018 Dr Bonny Cumming Project Officer - AMRRIC - Them Cheeky Dogs Challenges & Opportunities ...
Incorporation into
   kinship system
Hunting
A source of
   warmth
Protection - physical and spiritual
Dogs’
Importance in
Aboriginal
Culture
Incorporation into
creation & ‘dreaming’
knowledge

Artwork: ‘Papa Tjulurrpa (Dog
Dreaming), Doris Bush Nungarrayi
Overpopulation

• “I just don’t want any more puppies. It’s not my
  choice she keeps having puppies. The boy dogs
  keep getting to her. I don’t want any more puppies.
  Too many.”
   • Elderly Yolngu lady, Maningrida 2016
Parasites
Welfare

After:
Zoonoses
Litter
Nuisance
Threat
Cycle of Intolerance
Adapted from 2016 International Conference on
Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare
presentation by Dr Kate Atema, International
Fund for Animal Welfare
                                                 Problems
                                                 caused by
                                                companion
                                                  animals

              Lack of
                                                                Intolerance
             effective
                                                                    for
            companion
                                                                companion
              animal
                                                                  animals
           management

                                                Ambivalence
                                                or cruelty to
                                                 companion
                                                   animals
Cycle of Intolerance                                            • Annoyance &
                                                                  frustration
Adapted from 2016 International Conference on                   • Sadness & shame
Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare
                                                                • Fear – attack &/or
presentation by Dr Kate Atema, International
Fund for Animal Welfare
                                                                  health risk
                                                 Problems
                                                 caused by
                                                companion
                                                  animals

               Lack of
                                                                         Intolerance
              effective
                                                                             for
             companion
                                                                         companion
               animal
                                                                           animals
            management

                                                Ambivalence
                                                or cruelty to
                                                 companion               • Discord amongst
                                                   animals                 community members
                                                                         • Inhumane
                 • Trauma & anger                                          management
                 • Inhibited empathy                                       practices
                   development
Key ingredients for effective companion animal
management
1.   Geographic and economic            1. Access to
     access to veterinary services,    animal health
     prophylactic treatments and           care &
                                          services
     animal care products
                                                             2. LGAs
2.   Local Government Authorities                         resourced to
     (LGAs) that have the resources                        implement
                                                              AMPs
     and knowledge to implement
     appropriate Animal
     Management Programs (AMPs)
                                          3. Supportive
                                             societal
3.   Societal culture that generally          culture
     adheres to local by-laws and
     encourages the concept of
     responsible animal ownership
1. Access to
animal health
    care &
   services
2. LGAs
resourced to
 implement
    AMPs
3. Supportive
   societal
    culture
Benefits of effective animal management

• Improved animal health and welfare

• Improved human health and wellbeing

• Improved community amenity and safety

• Reduced negative impacts on wildlife and ecosystems

• Reduced biosecurity risks

• Enhanced empathy development
Keys to AMRRIC’s approach
1.   Understanding and respecting peoples’ connection to their animals
2.   Working with all stakeholders to develop culturally appropriate
     tailored programs that meet the needs of the community as a whole
3.   Building trust and implementing changes slowly, allowing people to
     personally recognise the benefits of participation
AMRRIC aims to be a resource:
• For Local Government Authorities and animal
  management staff
• For veterinary service providers
• For stakeholders impacted by, or with an interest in
  remote community animal management
• For communities
AMRRIC’s areas of work
Assisting Local Government Authorities:
• to develop and implement animal management
  programs
• by advocating for increased resources
• to connect with veterinary service providers
• to promote responsible pet ownership
AMRRIC’s areas of work
Assisting veterinary service providers:
• with guidelines, resources and advice
• by linking with local community contacts
• by facilitating mentor/mentee relationships
• by supplying vet and vet nurse volunteers
AMRRIC’s areas of work
Assisting stakeholders impacted by, or with an
interest in remote community animal management:
• by providing advice
• by catalysing relationships
• by promoting evidence-informed decision making
• to promote a culture of responsible animal
  ownership
Assisting communities
Opportunities
• Further evidence in support of One Health links
• Resources and training to build local animal management
  capacity
• Legislative requirements, and concurrent resource
  allocation to support the delivery of effective animal
  management
• Knowledge transfer aimed at increasing empathy and
  responsible animal ownership
• Improved collaboration between stakeholders at all levels
“Being an AMW is important
 for dogs so they don’t get
 scabies... which they then
don’t share with people. So
  it’s important for people
            too.”
“Aboriginal people have always looked
  after their dogs, but they’re seeing
there’s more control of numbers if less
 puppies are being born. There’s more
  food to go around as well and less
 problems with aggressive dogs. Kids
are learning and washing their hands.”
“I like being an AMW because
 it’s a job where you can see
 results. For example, you go
back [to a community] a month
 or so after you’ve visited and
 you can tell which dogs have
 been treated. They do look fit
and healthy... ultimately the job
  is making that difference in
closing the gap and improving
the health of dogs and people.”
Further reading
•   Ascione, FR & Weber, CV. Children's attitudes about the humane treatment of animals and empathy: One-year
    follow up of a school-based intervention. Anthrozoös, 1996, 9:4 188-195.
    https://doi.org/10.2752/089279396787001455

•   Attema, K, The Cycle of Intolerance and its Impact on Basic Dog Care Provision Behaviors, 1st International
    Conference on Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare, 2016
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otxnoz3NExg

•   Constable, SE, Brown, G, Dixon, RM, & Dixon, R. Healing the Hand that Feeds you: Exploring Solutions for Dog and
    Community Health and Welfare in Australian Indigenous Cultures. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social
    Sciences, 2008, 3 (8), 219-229.

•   Constable, SE, Dixon, R & Dixon, R, For the Love of Dog: The Human–Dog Bond in Rural and Remote Australian
    Indigenous Communities, Anthrozoös,2010, 23:4, 337-349 http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175303710X12750451259336

•   Donohoe, P, Garrawurri, YB, & Trudgen, R. The place of dogs in Traditional Culture Philip Donohoe, Big Lick 2000
    Conference Proceedings, 2000 http://www.amrric.org/resources/view/159

•   Senior K, Chenhall R, McRae-Williams E, D, and Rogers K. Dogs and people in Aboriginal communities: Exploring
    the relationship within the context of the social determinants of health. Environmental Health 2006, 6, no. 4: 39.

•   Smout F, Schrieber L, Speare R, Skerratt LF. More bark than bite: Comparative studies are needed to determine the
    importance of canine zoonoses in Aboriginal communities. A critical review of published research. Zoonoses Public
    Health. 2017;00:1–10.
Questions?

             www.amrric.org | bonny.cumming@amrric.org
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