Department of Agriculture to strengthen the application of animal welfare through the training of experts | Local news

In a notable step towards improving animal welfare on the island, the Animal Health Division of the Department of Agriculture of Guam is associated with Humane World For Animals to provide specialized training for law agents, animal control personnel and the interested parties of the community, the department announced in a press release.

The initiative occurs immediately after the Population Survey Guam Dog and Cat recently completed and represents continuous efforts to address the challenges of the island with animal cruelty and street populations, the department said.

Guam’s Daily Post approached the territorial veterinarian Dr. Mariana Turner in the Animal Health Division.

“I am always looking for educational opportunities so that our animal control officers improve our understanding and operations,” Turner said. “This training in person is an opportunity to work in collaboration between the police, animal control officers, prosecutors, rescue groups and other animal defenders on the island.”

Next week two workshops will be held, led by ADAM Parascandola, vice president of the animal rescue team for Humany World for Animals, which brings more than 25 years of experience in animal cruelty investigations and application training, said the department in the statement.

As detailed in the statement, the first workshop, “investigating the training of animal cruelty”, will take place from 9 am to 3 pm March 6 at the office of the mayor of Sinajana this session is specifically designed for agents of the law, animal and prosecutors control officers.

The training will explore “the link”, the documented connection between animal cruelty and human violence, together with research techniques and prosecution considerations.

“There is a well -documented link between animal cruelty and human violence, often called ‘the link’,” Turner explained. “Studies have shown that people who commit acts of animal cruelty are more likely to participate in other violent crimes.”

He added that in Guam, “the abuse of animals is often not reported or not reported due to lack of resources and training.”

The second workshop is explained later in the statement, which is scheduled for 1 PM at 5 pm on March 7 at the Center for Research and Education of the University of Guam Yigo. It will focus on “better animal management” for animal control officers, shelters, rescue groups and personnel from the mayor’s office.

This practical training will cover field techniques, animal safety, capture methods, animals for animal refuge and livestock management, essential skills for those who work directly with animals in the field.

Turner said the animal health division faces important resources of resources, with only five employees in total, including herself. The animal control team consists of only “three (animal control officers) and a vehicle” to manage the population of street dogs from all over the island.

“With an entire island full of stray dogs, we need all the help we can get,” Turner said. “Our mayor staff and rescue volunteers can serve as a force multiplier in our efforts to administer the population of Freeds.”

One of the key objectives of these workshops is to promote collaboration between different agencies involved in animal welfare, he said. “The purpose of these interdisciplinary training is to provide the opportunity to socialize among the different groups, creating stronger links so that we can communicate among us to face the cases of animal cruelty and well -being,” Turner said.

He identified a critical gap in the current system, stating: “We have not yet established a solid collaborative relationship between animal control, the police department and prosecutors, the three are essential for convictions in a case of animal cruelty. This training aims to build that relationship.”

The Department of Agriculture has already implemented several initiatives to improve animal welfare on the island, including sterilization pets and the neutral island, or SNIP, clinic of sterilization services and low -cost castration, and responsible for pet ownership events that provide rage vaccines, microchips and pet licenses.

However, Turner acknowledged that a “limited situation of personnel” has created challenges to expand educational scope.

When asked about the evaluation plans for the workshops, Turner emphasized that this is the first time that a human application training is offered to police officers and prosecutors in Guam.

“The point at this stage is to plant seeds, to introduce the idea of ​​how animal welfare affects our community in general,” he said. “When we know better, we can do better. The fact that we can offer training and that people present to learn about animal welfare is a success in itself.”

For those interested in attending the workshop, the registration is available by scanning the QR code in event flyers or contacting Dr. Mariana Turner at 671-300-7964/66 or [email protected].