Location: Czech Republic - Prague
Event: Awareness Campaign
Organisers: Nadace Na Ochranu Zvirat

We held our World Animal Day event in Lucerna which is a very busy area in the centre of Prague. Every year we choose a specific theme and invite celebrities to help us raise public awareness.  This year we focused on developing the relationship between children and animals and highlighting the important role that animals play in the lives of many handicapped people. We cooperated with Svoboda Zvirat (another animal welfare organisation) and  we handed out literature to inform the public. Throughout the day we collected petition signatures for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare and were explaining its importance.  A number of volunteers dressed up in animal costumes and helped us collect signatures.  In the evening we screened animal welfare related films. Our event attracted media attention from  newspapers, radio and TV and the public feedback was very positive.  Ing. Petra Šindelářová, International Coordinator, NADACE NA OCHRANU ZVÍŘAT (Animal Protection Trust), Praha.

Location: Portugal - Guimarães
Event: Animal Adoption Campaign
Organisers: GuimarãeShopping / Sociedade Protectora de Animais - Guimarães

We are delighted that our Adoption Campaign in celebration of World Animal Day found new loving homes for a total of 75 animals, 40 dogs and 35 cats, which surpassed last year's event. The event, organised by GuimarãeShopping and the Animal Protection Society of Guimarães, was sponsored by the City Council of Guimarães, the Municipal Animals Shelter,  Y&R, Elisabete Silva Graphical Atelier, and the Dog's school of NortDog trainings. During the event, NortDog carried out demonstrations of obedience and agillity.

At this year's event, which took place on the 5th, 6th and 7th October, we were delighted to welcome Manuel Cajuda, football trainer of the Sport Victory Club in Guimarães who is an animal lover and owner of four dogs. Manuel regards his dogs as his friends and views them as the best company that he could ask for in many difficult situations. He attended one of the demonstrations carried out for the NortDog School, partner of the initiative, where one of his dogs was used to demonstrate basic obedience training.

The pharmaceutical company, Schering provided vaccines for all the animals adopted and GuimarãeShopping offered the sterilizations of all adopted animals, with the support of the local veterinarians. To help to identify the animals and to better guarantee their safety, GuimarãeShopping also provide a microchipping service for all animals adopted. In addition, Ornimundo and Purina provided a starter kit of essential pet care items. Luciana Cruz
GuimarãeShopping - Assistente de Marketing Sonae Sierra, Sierra Management Portugal - Gestão de Centros Comerciais, SA, GuimarãeShopping. Tel: (+351) 253 109 900 Fax: (+351) 253 109 904. Alameda Dr Mariano Felgueiras, Creixomil,  4835-075 Guimarães 

Location: Greece, Athens
Event: Information Stand with Focus on Sea Turtles
Organisers: Medasset & Greek Animal Welfare Fund

Dear World Animal Day organisers, Your website was very helpful in our preparations for the World Animal Day celebration.  Yesterday, our office team and volunteers placed a stand on one of Athens' busiest plateia (square) and from there we handed out information leaflets about MEDASSET and about the effects of small garbage on sea turtles.  We were able to attract new members and receive donations in support of our projects about sea turtles around the Mediterranean. 

The Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF) was invited to hand out leaflets from the same stand and that made our presence there even more substantial, as people who were interested were able to receive information about all animals.  

Thank you for being inspirational and for the great tips and resources you provide. Keep up the good work! Jenny Ioannou, Communications Officer

Location: Armenia - Kurtan, Gorayq, Akunq, Martuni, Ttujur, Qarakert & Shenik
Events: Youth Club Celebrations
Organiser: Khatutik NGO

During October 2007 we celebrated World Animal Day in 7 rural communities of Armenia, where, since March, we have been carrying out educational projects for youths in farm animal welfare and husbandry (heifer, calf and lamb). Project activities included: organizing regular training for youth club leaders and members on team work, animal raising and record keeping by leading specialists of Agricultural University of Armenia and NGO specialists, monitoring and consulting during the project period leading up to the final Animal Shows in celebration of World Animal Day.

To promote the 7 Animal Shows, we designed special posters with the World Animal Day logo.  The Shows were attended by all community members, leaders, guests and the media were present.  Youth club members welcomed everyone to the show, spoke about the history of World Animal Day and the celebration of this special day by Armenian Youth Clubs for the first time.  The children presented their animals, the posters they each designed and demonstrated their newly gained knowledge and skills on animal raising and nursing.  Judges evaluated the animal’s weight, appearance, cleanliness, youth skills and knowledge, posters, filled in record books and awarded prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. All club members received and certificate and present for participating.  On World Animal Day, animal shows were broadcasted by Armenian National TV News channel “Haylour” and other TV channels. Full report submitted by Shushan Gyulkhasyan, Project Director and “Khatutik” NGO Chairman, edited by World Animal Day.

Location: Romania - Bucharest, Popesti-Leordeni
Event: School Educational Fun Day
Organiser: The Nature and Heritage for the Future Association

We thank you for your website and for your invitations and encouragments to celebrate WAD every year. We are "The Nature-a Heritage for the Future" Association, Bucharest, Romania. We organised the event in Popesti-Leordeni, where our shelter is located. we made it together with the school nr.1, with whom we have an education program. There were over 200 pupils, teachers, the principal, parents and the mayor. It was better than we expected, the children performed short artistic plays, poems, songs. The teachers organised few interactive contests, we had few power point presentations about our work, TNR program, education in animal welfare and the children asked questions and found answers.

Outside we organised face painting, play with dogs and puppies and we invite them to our adoption center. we gave 2 puppies to adoption next day. The mayor had a speach about ecological issues and animal welfare.

Location: Holland - Etten-Leur
Event: Painting By Numbers - World Record Attempt Successful!
Organisers: SPOTS Foundation

On october 4th at 15.30 pm a loud cheer sounded through the shopping mall of Etten-Leur. The world record “Longest Painting by Numbers” had been broken from 120 metres to 140 metres long. A proud Simone Eckhart, chair(wo)man of SPOTS, and a big group of volunteers could breath easily again! The jury was very satisfied about the result and so the event was a succes. Photos and video were then sent to London for the approval of the official jury of Guiness World Records and we are currently awaiting the result. Simone: "This day was a great succes for our Foundation and for the cheetah”. Christian Albers, Ambassador of the Foundation and former Formula 1 driver, opened the event by racing through the streets of Etten-Leur in his Porsche and then joined the children and helped with the painting.

The attempt took weeks of preparation and our artist, Michael Polane, did a really great job making this painting a beautiful one! Our special thanks goes to the management of the Etten-Leur Shopping Mall and Praxis Etten-Leur who generously sponsored the cost of all the materials needed. Full report sent by SPOTS and edited by World Animal Day.

Location: Netherlands
Event: Awareness Campaign
Organiser: Animal Life Foundation

On World Animal Day we launched an 'Awareness Campaign' throughout The Netherlands. Volunteers covered the country handing out pamphlets to the public providing them with information about our Five-Step Plan to enable everyone to effectively help reduce animal suffering by making a few simple changes to how and where they shop, paying more attention to their pets, reporting animal cruelty and volunteering to help animal welfare organisations. We normally work within the environs of Rotterdam and this was the first time we've conducted a national campaign. Unfortunately, we don't have photographs as our volunteers roamed the streets and homes to inform people about animal welfare. We hope the World Animal Day initiative was a huge success and we support your event from the bottom of our hearts. Hope to join you again next year! With very kind regards, Floor Wijburg, Chairman.

Location: Russia - Ekaterinburg
Event: Vet Raising Awareness
Organiser: Ekaterinburg Society for the Protection of Animals

Dr Lyudmila Beloglazova, Chairman of the Ekaterinburg SPA, included the World Animal Day logo in all her veterinary paperwork in order to increase public awareness of World Animal Day. On 4th October itself, all clients and visitors were wished a "Happy World Animal Day". Dr Beloglazova, treats all the stray animals brought to her surgery, neuters them and then they are rehomed by the Society. Some of the crippled animals stay with Dr Belaglazova.
Photo: One of Dr Beloglazova's patients that will be rehomed by the Ekaterinburg SPA when fully recovered.

Location: Cork, Republic of Ireland
Event: Vivisection Debate
Organiser: UCC Philosophical Society (University College Cork)

That This House Believes That The Animal Rights Movement, by Opposing Medical Testing, Has Gone Too Far” 

On Monday 1st of October the Philosoph held its first house meeting of the year. Several hundred people attended the meeting to discuss the fraught issue of animal rights.  We were joined by four distinguished guest speakers who helped us to thrash out the argument.  

Dr Simon Festing, executive director of the Research Defence Society, opened the debate on behalf of the Proposition.  He spoke on the contribution animal testing has made to medical treatment and the challenges posed in the future.

Mel Broughton of the anti-testing organisation SPEAK countered for the Opposition speaking of the suffering of animals undergoing experimentation.  He invoked image of the laboratories and facilities where the animals are born, live and die.  He spoke of his moral outrage at profiting from the suffering of animals, including non-human primates.

Dr. Tipu Aziz, Professor of Neuroscience at Oxford University, then took the podium for the Proposition.  He spoke of his own experience in animal testing in the search for the treatments for Parkinson’s disease.  He supported his argument with a series of videos illustrating the effect of new treatments on patients. 

Dr. Andre Menache ended the speaker debate speaking about the problems associated with extrapolating human treatments from animal research.  He spoke of the failures and limitations of animal testing.

The motion was then opened to the floor and students expressed a range of opinions, some defending animal right and some insisting on the primacy of human well-being.  Following the floor contributions the debate swung back to our guest speakers who defended their respective positions and answered questions from the floor.

Location: Lithuania
Event: Animals in Focus
Organiser: Lithuanian Society for the Protection of Animals

In Lithuania to celebrate World Animal Day on 4th October, no live animal imports or exports were allowed, slaughterhouses were closed for the day, working farm animals were given a day of rest and no hunting was permitted.

In addition, the Lithuanian Society for the Protection of Animals highlighted the big corporations, advertising agencies and TV producers that use animals in poor taste. A protest was made to the leading mobile telephone provider Omnitel who had launched an advert campaign featuring a person lying on the beach next to a starfish (it's animated, but looks true-to-life).  Then a group of real-life beach joggers run by stepping on the starfish until it's in pieces. The advert was highlighted to the Advertisers Ethics Board which forced Omnitel to add the phrase 'no animal was harmed in the creation of this advert'. 

The Lithuanian Zoo held a special World Animal Day celebration at its education centre for hundreds of schoolchildren.

Location: Malta
Event: Open Day at Island Sanctuary with Pet Blessing Service
Organiser: The Island Sanctuary

As usual we celebrated World Animal Day on the Sunday following 4th October. We had an Open Day at the dog sanctuary, and we were delighted to welcome a constant stream of visitors throughout the day. Visitors had the opportunity to meet our dogs, and 3 dogs found a new loving home on that particular day. We also had two fundraising activities on the premises - a Book Sale/Bazaar and a stall selling our T-shirts and the 2008 calendar. The climax of the day was Mass celebrated with the participation of around 40 'dog visitors'  - as well as a cat and 1 ferret! Mass was followed by the blessing of all animals, including the 160 dogs in our care! Pet owners were presented with a Commemorative Bookmark which included the official Church Blessing of Animals, and was inscribed with the pet's name. Report supplied by Sylvia and edited by World Animal Day.
To view a poster advertising the event please click here (pdf)

Location: Malta
Event: Primary School Children learn about Responsible Pet Ownership
Organiser: The Island Sanctuary

I also visited a local Primary School with Bernie, one of my dogs, as part of the WAD celebrations. All the children got the chance to meet Bernie in their classroom. They also learnt about the meaning of being a responsible pet owner, and the work we do as a sanctuary. Afterwards they presented Bernie - on behalf of the sanctuary dogs - with tins and boxes of dog food which the children themselves collected for us.

Location: Bulgaria - Sofia
Event: Photography Competition and Movie Marathon
Organiser: Intimate With Nature Society (IWNS)

This was the 4th year that IWNS, Bulgaria organized special events to celebrate World Animal Day.

On the 4th of October, our society organized a movie marathon in a central cinema open to everyone. We showed three films dedicated to animal life, protection and the close connection between people and animals. More than 2000 people enjoyed the films. Here are the titles:
The Wild Life, animation for the younger audience; Srebarna – a Bulgarian film describing the life of the birds living in one of the most beautiful resorts next to the river Danube; also, The Price of Birds, another Bulgarian film. The final film shown during the Movie Marathon was Eight Below, a fantastic story about the survival of eight huskies left in the Arctic on their own.

Also on World Animal Day, 12 people received their awards for being the winners in our photo competition. The subject of the competition was “Show me your love”. The winning photos will feature in the IWNS 2008 calendar. The first three places were: Tsveta Nesheva with the photo called Dance (see poster above), Yosif Astoukov and his photo called Hunger, and Vergnia Genova and her photo Love.

Location: Bulgaria - Sofia
Event: Free Range Picnic
Organiser: Intimate With Nature Society (IWNS)

On the 7th of October, in one of Sofia's parks, we held a free-range eggs picnic. The event "They Also Need Space", highlighted the plight of battery hens and promoted the welfare benefits of buying free-range egss. Bulgarian celebrities boiled the egss and everyone who attended the event was able to 'taste the difference' and participate in many games.

Location: Romania
Event: Launch of Spay/Neuter Project
Joint Organisers: Animed Arad / Romania Animal Rescue / NUCA

Dr Olson, our volunteer veterinarian from Alaska, was able to train 18 Romanian veterinarians and students on pain-free surgical procedures in the cities of Galati, Cluj, and Buzau.  Thanks to the training by Dr Olson, she and the veterinarians in Romania were able to spay/neuter over 500 street animals!
 
Dr. Olson was able to go to the countryside and offer her skills to the locals.  She was surrounded by people who needed treatment for their horses, cats and dogs.  Unfortunately, there are not many horse care products in Romania, but Dr. Olson was able to help as best she could. Nancy Janes. This entry has yet to be completed and photographs will be added as soon as available.

Location: Ukraine - Kiev
Event: International Right Protection Film Festival "STEPS"
Organiser: Centre for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (CETA)

In Kiev on World Animal Day, CETA opened its 1st International Right Protection Film Festival "STEPS", a 4-day festival - first of itskind in the post-Soviet Union. During the festival many stimulating, educational films about the rights of animals and environmental protection were shown as well as films devoted to human rights, moral and social issues and political problems. The main aim of the festival was to draw society's attention to the prejudices and cruelty that dominates the modern world. It is hoped that bringing together the creative works from different countries will open everyone's eyes influencing them to understand that we are all responsible for everything that goes on around us. It's imperative that we wake up and see the inconvenient truth - the future of our planet is in our hands!

The title of the festival “STEPS” was carefully chosen as each of us, as well as mankind as a whole, may choose to either ascend the moral steps or descend the steps of barbarism. The question is which direction will be chosen by each of us?

Location: Greece - Mykonos
Event: Cake Sale and Face Painting 4 The Animals
Organiser: Mykonos Animal Welfare

Mykonos Animal Welfare held a bake sale selling cakes, pastries, jams and pies made by local residents and businesses and donated on the day. We also distributed leaflets to passers by on the benefits of pet sterilization, anti-poisoning, pet responsibilty and abandonment. The children enjoyed having their faces painted , mostly animals but some opted for spiderman!

The day was a great success and we raised a fantastic 1600 Euro. This money will be used to help fund emergency vet care and the sterilization of stray cats and dogs of which we are swamped. For more information please go to our website www.mykonosanimals.com  the site is available in English, German, Greek, Italian, and French. Report sent by Sarah Pearson.
Photo: Vice-Mayor of Mykonos supports World Animal Day event.

Location: Cyprus - Paralimni, Protaras, Larnaca and Ayia Napa
Event: Massive Street Collection
Organiser: Argos Animal Rescue & Protection Association

Argos Animal Rescue and Protection Association took to the streets of Protaras, Larnaca, Paralimni and Ayia Napa with collection boxes, balloons and stickers, raising public awareness of ARGOS in Cyprus and collecting a grand total of £498.86.

The money collected is going towards the building of our new animal shelter, in Dhekelia on Crown forest land, conceded to Argos by British Bases in cooperation with the Cyprus government. The photograph shows Margaret McKenzie spreading the word and collecting in Paralimni town square.

We would like to give a huge thank you to all who donated, the residents and businesses of the area, the expat community and the tourists who holidayed in Cyprus this summer. Information on ARGOS can be obtained by contacting: Stella Stylianou via email: argos@cytanet.com.cy or visiting our web site www.argossanctuary.com.

Location: Dublin, Ireland
Event: Seminar on Companion Animal Welfare
Organiser: University College Dublin, Veterinary Sciences Centre

The overall aim of the UCD seminar series on animal welfare is to create a forum for stakeholders to discuss the latest results in animal welfare science and apply research results to everyday use. There were four speakers at the seminar on Companion Animal Welfare, which was the second in the UCD series.

Dr Caroline Hewson, who spoke about the secrets of good animal care, presented the plenary paper. The secrets were based on research data, which has not been widely disseminated amongst veterinary practitioners. Dr Hewson gave the example of the Hide, Perch and Go™ box, developed by the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.spca.bc.ca). The box, which is made from cardboard has a multifunctional design: as a carrier and as a home for cats kept in shelters. One major benefit is that at the time of rehoming, cats can be carried to their new home in the box and then the box, with all of its familiar smells, can be used as a bed for the cat in its new home.  Caroline also discussed issues associated with animal pain and highlighted the problems with tail-docking of puppies.

The second speaker Mark Beazley, the Operations Manager at the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), focused his talk on the number of dogs euthanased at regional dog pounds in Ireland. The statistics were alarming, with up to 85% of dogs in the pounds being euthanased in 2006. Mr Beazley also presented breed related data, which showed that collie crosses were the predominant breed euthanased in some rural counties. His data raised an important issue – that farmers are reluctant to neuter working collies, because of the perception that neutering impairs performance.

The third presentation was by Edmond O’Sullivan MVB MRCVS, who presented data from his research on dog bite attacks in Ireland. Unlike most news reports, his survey showed that the dogs most likely to bite were the most popular breeds in society.

The final speaker of the afternoon was Ms Orla O’Doherty, small animal clinician and a specialist in companion animal behaviour. Orla talked about responsible pet ownership and identified a number of key points that can improve the quality of life of our companion animals and thus reduce the likelihood of behaviour problems. For example, an interesting environment, which provides good stimulation is essential. An overview of Orla’s caseload revealed that many owners consider that letting the dog into the garden (‘self-exercise’) will provide sufficient exercise to the dog. However in practice, dogs require the stimulation provided by a walk, which presents a multitude of smells and other stimuli. Exercise through walks and playing games also help the dog to burn off energy, leaving less energy for the dog to develop nuisance behaviours.

Overall the talks covered both ends of the welfare continuum from the positive improvements identified by research to inappropriate environments and management of our pets, which in some cases leads to unwanted pets and euthanasia.

To read more about the Seminar see an article by Jenny Moffett entitled ‘Tail docking: the long and the short of it’ published in the Irish Veterinary Journal (www.irishveterinaryjournal.com), December 2007, Volume 60, Number 12, Pages 12-13. Report submitted to World Animal Day by Dr Alison Hanlon, Senior Lecturer.
To view a poster advertising this event please click here (pdf)

Location: Italy
Event: Cats & Culture Educational Tour of Italy
Organiser: Friends of Roman Cats, San Francisco

Awaiting Report.