ICAM Coalition Virtual Conference 2024

1. By submitting an abstract you are committing to be available on any of the conference days (17-21 June 2024) between the hours of 11:00-13:00 UTC. If there is a day or specific times during which you are not available, you may indicate this on the form.
2. Each virtual presentation will be 15 minutes in length (+ 5 minutes for questions)
3. Your abstract should be submitted in English, no more than 400 words in length
4. If your abstract is accepted as a presentation, the information you submit will be used in the conference abstract book. Therefore, make sure you have all titles, names, and organisations of presenters and authors available before submitting your proposal.
5. Deadline for submissions: 18 April 2024

Dog and cat population management requires a comprehensive and adaptive approach – innovating, testing, evaluating using data-driven approaches. This includes evaluating impact on animal health and welfare, human health and perceptions, and cost-benefit analyses – and then adapting to improve impact and efficiency.

Population management can improve the health and welfare of dogs and cats, but can also contribute to human and community health, including reducing dog bites and achieving the goal of canine rabies elimination by 2030.

Concerns over roaming dog and cat welfare, numbers and risks they may pose are high on the agenda of many urban areas. As cities develop, ensuring safe access to all public spaces includes management of dog and cat populations. This theme is an opportunity for municipalities to share their progress in humane management that balances citizens’ needs for safe public spaces with animal welfare needs.

How owners and communities behave towards dogs and cats is the single biggest driver of their population dynamics. Community engagement and changes in human behaviour that reflect improvements in responsible ownership are therefore powerful influencers of effective and sustainable population management.

National and local governments are responsible for managing the populations of dogs and cats in their territory. Either when working alone, or in partnership with NGOs, business and academia, they provide the legal basis, budget and drive for sustained population management. An opportunity to share case studies of successful government-led population management and political engagement techniques that work.

Rehoming can be achieved using physical shelters / rehoming centres and fostering. Rehoming in population management is part of a wider system that is simultaneously addressing the drivers for relinquishment. An opportunity to share innovation in rehoming and management or medicine practices that are effective, efficient and benefit animal welfare.