A Different Perspective A Report from the Netherlands Sylvana Wenderhold, National Desexing Network/Animal Welfare League Qld The Dierenbescherming (DB) or Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals was invited to speak at the Summit this year, but due to the date coinciding with World Animal Day this was not an option. The DB was however happy for me to represent them and I have written the following speech using documentation provided by the DB and also from telephone and email contact. The speech has been approved by the DB. History and General Information I believe that Holland is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to their attitude towards companion animals. Other countries with low euthanasia numbers are Denmark, Germany, Austria and the UK. The Dutch population is currently 16.4 million. Australia s population is 20.4 million. There are 1.5 million dogs in Holland, mostly living as companions in their owner s home. Ninety percent of dog owners have 1 dog. Currently, there are 2.7 million cats in Holland - 67% of those cat owners have 1 cat and 33% have more than 1. There are no laws to curb the number of pets allowed in one household. Some councils may have rules and some landlords as well, but there are no set regulations. The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (DB) is an association with more than 160.000 members. The main office is in the Hague with 65 employees. It is by far the largest animal welfare organisation in the Netherlands. It endeavors to protect the following types of animals: companion animals, farm animals, animals living in the wild and animals in laboratories. The Society is made up of about 80 autonomous divisions and cooperates with about 85 animal shelters, 45 of which are owned by the DB. Most shelters are for both dogs and cats, although some shelters also accept other species. The first Dutch animal shelter was built in 1877. A major difference I have noticed between Holland and other countries I have lived in is the attitude towards companion animals. Generally, whatever is in the best interest of the animal is paramount in decision making. Animal Sheltering in Holland Since 1964 there have been official Dutch regulations regarding dog and cat shelters. Within these regulations a variety of topics are covered, the main ones being the size and type of housing, the vaccinations required, identification and registration. Every year about 25.000 dogs and 45.000 cats become homeless. The animals are either stray or abandoned pets. 72% of dogs get reclaimed by their owner but only 13 percent of cats go back to their original home. The reason for the difference in reclaiming figures is due to the fact many more dogs are micro-chipped than cats. Of the animals that are not reclaimed, ninety percent find a new home. In the Netherlands, there is no stray dog problem
anymore, but there is a surplus of stray cats. The DB is lobbying for compulsory microchipping and registration of companion animals, although the government is not keen to introduce new laws at this point. However, the DB has not lobbied for compulsory desexing. In the Netherlands, only very sick animals and those with severe behavioural issues are euthanased and the final decision is made by the shelter manager and the veterinarian. No animals are euthanased due to overpopulation. Local councils in Holland are obligated by law to look after cats and dogs for the first two weeks after they become homeless and, as such, pay for the first 14 days sheltering of stray animals. Councils make arrangements with animal shelters to take over this task. There is also no limit on the amount of time an animal is kept at the shelter. Most young animals find homes quite quickly although it may take longer for older pets or those that have some behavioral issues. The other activities of animal shelters are paid for through sponsoring, donations and a yearly door to door collection. In addition to this, when an owner surrenders an animal a fee has to be paid. Animal shelters are mostly independent and work with both volunteers and paid employees. Animal shelters in Holland actively look for new pet owners. They also have strict selection criteria in place for new owners to ensure that the cat or dog goes to the ideal home and doesn t get re-surrendered. After a pet has found a new owner, a placement agreement is signed and all animals from the shelters have a permanent identification (tattoo or microchip). Most cats are desexed upon leaving the shelter, or take home a voucher to be desexed at a later date. Dogs are not desexed as this decision is left up to the new owner. This is mainly because in Holland there is no surplus of dogs. For some time after placement, an animal is checked upon to ensure the well being of both the animal and the new owner. New owners pay an adoption fee. The National Inspection Service The National Inspection Service for Animal Protection (NIS) has 12 fulltime inspectors and more than 200 volunteer inspectors. Although part of the DB, the NIS works independently and professionally as it is performing government duties. The NIS is often referred to as the Animal Police, a name which the organisation itself encourages. However, it is not the animals that are being policed - it is animal owners or other people that may do harm to animals. The NIS ensures that animals are treated in accordance with the Dutch Animal Welfare Law. It has the authority to hand out fines and also to confiscate animals. The NIS can also act in cases of incessant dog barking. Normally the regular police deals with a complaint of this nature but if the dog is barking due to circumstances that can affect its wellbeing, then the NIS step in. In cases of dog bites, the victim usually contacts the police. In this situation, the owner of the dog will be held responsible for the incident even if the owner was not at the scene at the time.
The NIS receives a government subsidy of 300.000 Euros annually. This is only enough for part of the work carried out. The NIS therefore fundraises and receives bequests to continue its work. Animal Ambulance For the transport of injured, sick, stray and deceased animals there are different animal ambulance services available in Holland. Most are members of the Federation for Animal Ambulances Netherlands (FDN). Ambulance staff performs first aid on animals in case of accidents. Most ambulances also offer the service of transporting owned animals to veterinarians on behalf of owners, in cases where owners cannot transport the animal themselves. The Animal Ambulances receive monies through fundraising, donations, legacies and sometimes from the councils they work with. Cat and Dog Laws In the Netherlands cat and dog laws consider the animal s individual worth and not just the value that it holds to its owner or other people. Some of these laws are not completed yet or are not enforced other parts are. Some portions of these laws are for example - It is illegal to perform procedures that mutilate an animal such as tail and ear cropping. - There are also strict enforced rules for people selling or rehoming or housing companion animals, like shelters, kennels, breeders, traders and pet shops that sell cats and dogs. There are annual inspections of all these facilities. - Selling animals on the street or in markets is illegal and anyone selling animals must have a permit to do so. - Places that sell animals must house them according to strict guidelines and animals are not permitted to be housed alone. - Dogs in pet shops must have access to the outdoors at least two hours per day. - All animals sold or rehomed must be micro chipped and vaccinated. Due to these strict rules only about 10 pet shops in Holland sell cats and dogs. Most people adopt their companion animals from a shelter or buy one from a breeder. Holland has banned Pitbull Terriers since 1993. The DB is against this law, because they feel that it discriminates against dogs solely based on their appearance. The DB feels the law has not been effective because Pitbulls have never actually been an acknowledged breed in Holland and therefore it is very difficult to deem a dog a Pitbull. Many animals destroyed as being Pitbulls were actually mixed breed dogs that unfortunately simply looked like the banned breed. The DB also feels that to prevent dog bite incidents from occurring, it is much more effective to provide proper training for dogs and their owners and to also educate young children on how to approach and deal with dogs. Veterinarians In Holland there is only one university that offers veterinary science. There is neither a shortage nor surplus of vets. The DB work closely with the veterinary community and gets
very little resistance to their aims. Veterinarians in Holland generally desex cats and dogs at 6 months, some at three months. This seems to be because there is no overpopulation problem. The colder weather might contribute to the lack of overbreeding of cats. Also people tend to use a contraceptive injection for cats to prevent them breeding early. Overall there seems to be a more responsible attitude to preventing unwanted animals. Feral Cats in the Netherlands In the Netherlands 30.000 wild stray cats are sheltered every year. The problem with these animals is mainly caused by the inconvenience to the community. To deal with this problem the DB follows the method based on the TNR-system as described by the British biologist and philosopher Roger Tabor. 1. The cats are caught using cat traps. 2. The cats are desexed, identified and registered 3. The cats are returned to their original habitat. a. When this returning is impossible the cats are either placed in another environment (e.g. farms) placed in a permanent shelter socialised and placed in a home (especially the kittens) only when the animals are in an hopeless health situation euthanasia is practiced 4. After their return, the cats are regularly fed (just slightly to keep them attached to one place and healthy) and monitored. In Holland ear-tipping feral cats is legal and considered a good method to prevent the cat from being caught twice. The DB offers the following advice regarding feral cats: When a member of the public complains about cats in their neighbourhood the DB offers to trap, desex and return the cats to the same area. If the person objects the DB explains that there are not a lot of options for these cats and that they can t be rehomed. Relocation is equally difficult and is only used when there is no other solution. Therefore returning the cat(s) is the most humane option as otherwise the cat(s) would be euthanased and the DB is against killing healthy cats. Besides, if the cats are removed there is a good possibility of other feral cats moving into the area and the problem would repeat itself. The DB acknowledges that feral cats unfortunately do attack wildlife, but if the cats are offered food or have access to other food sources they are far less likely to eat wild animals. In Holland there are several animal shelters that offer a permanent home to feral cats that can t live anywhere else, as well as cats with severe behavioural problems or medical problems that prevent them from finding a home. These cats have in and outdoor living areas and receive food and medical attention. These shelters have limited space due to the long term care provided to the cats and is not regarded as the solution for feral cats, but a sound alternative for those cats without any other options. Another solution is the Farm Cat Program. This involves cat trappers organizing whole cat colonies to go to local farms and caravan parks, by approaching the owners and getting permission. This is seen as mutually beneficial as they keep rats and mice to a minimum.
In general the public attitude to feral cats is more accommodating and most people do not think they should be killed. Conclusion The DB does not know exactly why the situation in Holland is so much better than most other countries around the world as there have not been any studies done to discover the underlying reasons for this. They simply feel that the Dutch community is generally very concerned about animal welfare and animal rights. For example, the Netherlands is the world s only country with a political party solely dedicated to the animal rights and welfare. The Animal Party was elected into parliament in 2006 with two seats (out of 150). When the welfare of animals is in question, Dutch people pay attention, show concern and generally demand the government improves the situation. This said, there is still the problem of feral cats to consider and the NIS still deals with countless cases of neglect and abuse. Plus, the DB is always concerned that the shelters are full of animals. Still, feral cats seem to be treated humanely and despite the shelters being full, no cats or dogs are killed due to lack of space. This is a situation that most of the world could only hope to achieve one day. Significant Points to Consider about the Netherlands that may contribute towards this almost ideal situation: Most landlords allow pets because in general people look after their pets responsibly There are many nursing homes that allow cats and dogs There is no overpopulation of dogs, nor of domestic cats Dutch men generally like cats TNR is practised with feral cats Feral cats are a community problem and the community works together to come up with a solution that is in the cats as well as the community s best interest Cats are allowed to roam outdoors Dogs generally live in the house and are considered family members. In general dogs behave much better because of this close relationship and you rarely hear of dog bite incidents. Children generally all are taught to respect animals by their parents. In general, anyone who has a dog takes it to dog socialising and training school. Due to strict rules, only a handful of pet shops sell cats and dogs There are no local government Animal Management Officers and the Animal Police, equivalent to our Inspectors, exists to protect animals from people instead of vice versa. The police can manage any dog bite or barking incidents because they are so rare. Animals are considered to have their own value, not the value they may have to people. Sylvana Wenderhold National Desexing Network/Animal Welfare League Qld info@ndn.org.au Sylvana is the Director of the National Desexing Network and a member of the Executive Management Committee of the Animal Welfare League of Queensland. Originally from the Netherlands, she has lived in Canada and the USA where she worked in various shelters and was the Director of Operation of Mobile Animal Services and Help a mobile desexing clinic in Florida. She has a degree in Public Relations (specialising in non-profit organisations).