HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — For decades, Guam has struggled with an overwhelming number of unwanted or stray dogs.
“It is a daunting task, but in the last year and a half we have made significant headway,” territorial veterinarian Dr. Mariana Turner told The Guam Daily Post.
It’s an issue the Guam Department of Agriculture is trying to tackle through a multi-pronged approach to dog population management that involves SNIP, the Spay and Neuter Island Pets program.
“Since its opening in February 2022, we have performed over 3,000 spay and neuter surgeries, preventing countless unwanted puppies and kittens,” said Turner, adding there have been no recent surveys performed to give exact numbers of dogs on the island.
The most recent survey was performed by Humane Society International in 2014, which estimated 60,000 dogs on Guam at the time, with 20,000 identified as “free roaming.”
Guam’s endemic stray dog population has been documented since 1907 and has persisted as a problem, which Turner said means that there’s no single way to solve the issue.
“This is an issue that will take persistence, collaboration and community involvement to solve,” she said.
Population management
Agriculture believes educating the community is a key element in getting a handle on the island’s growing stray population.
Turner noted that, according to the International Companion Animal Management Coalition, aspects of dog population management services include:
• Promoting responsible behavior.
• Strengthening animal control capacity.
• Access to reproduction control.
• Access to veterinary care.
• Formal education of children.
• Holding facilities/re-homing centers.
• Identification and registration.
• Control of commercial breeding and sale.
• Managing access to resources.
Turner took on the task of dealing with the island’s stray dog population in 2022 when she became the territorial veterinarian of Guam.
“I have been working on strengthening the animal control officer capacity by advocating for professional education,” she said. “Our animal control officers are now certified through the National Animal Care & Control Association. We have been actively working on a public service announcement campaign promoting responsible pet ownership.”
Outreach projects
One of the major outreach projects that has helped reduce the number of strays on the island is SNIP.
“The SNIP clinic operates weekly out of the GAIN (Guam Animals in Need) clinic and quarterly goes out into the community to perform surgeries as well,” Turner said. “The GAIN shelter has also undergone changes to improve efficiency, and plans for construction to expand are underway. The (Guam Department of Agriculture) Animal Health Division now offers responsible pet ownership events to promote microchipping, rabies vaccinations and pet licensing. My current focus is to start a more formal animal welfare education program for children.”
The SNIP clinic will host an event at the Inalåhan Mayor’s Office from Aug. 28 through Aug. 31 to spay and neuter up to 200 dogs and cats over the course of four days.
Wolfie peeks out from a dog kennel Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the Guam Animals in Need shelter in Yigo.
