ICAWC In Dubrovnik

There is little doubt that in the past decade, the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference (ICAWC) has established itself as one of the most important events in the calendar of those working in rescue centres around the world. Organised jointly by North Shore Animal League International (NSALI) and Dogs Trust , it unites people working in all aspects of companion animal welfare, and gives them a chance to discuss common problems, goals and aims – and learn from others who have been there before them. Many of the charities and organisations represented at ICAWC are struggling against the odds to do the best they can for the animals in their care with meager resources, the most basic of facilities and little support. ICAWC gives them the opportunity to find the expertise and the back-up they so badly need.

This year the 7th International Companion Animal Welfare Conference welcomed an amazing 188 delegates representing 63 organisations from 28 countries from as far afield as Australia, Japan and Israel to the Excelsior Hotel in Dubrovnik on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast.

The conference was very well attended by the major UK charities – with representatives from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Blue Cross, SSPCA, Cats Protection, the Feline Advisory Bureau, Wood Green Animal Shelters among others visiting the conference as both delegates and speakers.

The International Companion Animal Welfare Conference was the joint dream of Clarissa Baldwin from Dogs Trust and Roger Weeks from NSALI. Both Clarissa and Roger had independently been thinking about setting up a regular conference that would bring animal charities together, and a chance meeting led them to put their plans into action together.

Clarissa and Roger’s idea behind ICAWC is that there is a vast amount of acquired knowledge out there in the animal welfare world, and all organisations have a lot to learn from others. Many have successfully overcome problems that others are now facing, some seem to be battling insurmountable odds that others have found a way to beat, and some just need to know that there are other people out there doing the same thing and that they are not alone in their ideals and hopes. By bringing them together, they are able to learn from each other and offer hope to those who need it – plus with the help of the world’s leading experts and speakers, delegates can be brought up to date with the latest in the welfare world. From the very first ICAWC, it was clear this was a winning formula – and each successive year has seen the conference go from strength to strength – and this year’s conference in Dubrovnik was without doubt the best so far.

The standard of the speakers was beyond compare with something for everyone no matter what their role in animal welfare. Fundraising, shelter building, animal behaviour, veterinary first aid, neutering, legislation and media manipulation were just some of the subjects covered by some of the world’s leading experts, and everybody came away having learnt something they could put into practise to benefit the animals in their care.

Another important part of the conference is to give people the chance to visit a rescue centre in the area – and this year was no different. Delegates were driven up the perilous track to Drustvo za zastitu zivotinja Dubrovnik (Society for the Protection of Animals Dubrovnik). This is a centre run by two sisters who do a fantastic job looking after the dogs in their care despite working in the most rudimentary of kennel facilities perched high on a hill in an old ruined fort overlooking Dubrovnik. It says much about the huge gap between countries and their animal welfare policies that for some of the delegates, this was the most basic and primitive shelter they had ever seen or could imagine, while others marveled at how advanced and wonderful it was. No matter what your viewpoint however, it was impossible to doubt that this is a well-run centre where the welfare of the dogs is paramount. One advantage of being so high in the hills and so isolated is that all the dogs get free running exercise at least twice a day.

Perhaps a lot of the most important work of the ICAWC, however, was done, as always, in tea breaks, over dinner, and in the bar. It is the chance to network with such a wide variety of animal welfare people that makes the conference invaluable. It is through these meetings that real changes are being made and alliances are formed, and there can’t be anyone who left the conference without new ideas, plans for the future, and the connections to make them happen. Many delegates even left clutching items donated from a variety of companies as ‘spot prizes’ (well it was on the Dalmatian coast after all!). The Company of Animals even donated free Kongs to delegates (and to the local Dubrovnik rescue centre) in order to introduce more people to the need for kennel enrichment.

If you have never attended ICAWC (or even if you have and plan to return), make sure you leave space in your diary for May 2007 and keep checking the website www.icawc.org for further details.