Dog catcher: who takes dogs from city streets and where. Catching domestic and wild animals Dog catcher

Catching

Search and capture of pets in Moscow

Veterinary hospital "Panvet": search for lost cats

When hormones are raging in an animal’s body, it becomes very inventive. The desire for an individual of the opposite sex forces cats and cats to leave their comfortable and familiar habitat, taking advantage of the inattention of the owners. Sometimes a pet goes for a walk out of curiosity - often even those animals that have been castrated want to expand the usual boundaries of the world and go off to explore new spaces. If your pet has gone in search of adventure, then do not waste time, involve specialists in his search. In this case, you can return it home much faster than searching for it yourself. The city veterinary clinic "Panvet" uses different methods to find cats. Our specialists use surveys of residents of nearby houses, advertise in the media, and conduct searches on the Internet. Shelters for homeless animals are checked, and it is advisable to have a photograph of the fugitive. We offer inexpensive cat search The price for this service can be clarified by the administrator by phone. If your pet is lost, then you cannot sit idly by. There are various dangers awaiting him on the street, so the sooner you contact us for help, the higher the likelihood of success in conducting search activities.

Help in solving problems of homeless animals

Unfortunately, you can find stray cats on the streets of the city. Today, the solution to the problem of increasing the number of stray animals is to catch cats in Moscow and then sterilize them. Cats that are caught are placed in shelters; if the owner is not present for a certain time, the animals are euthanized or sterilized and returned to the place where they were caught. Euthanasia is often practiced because sterilization is not free. In most cases, euthanizing an animal is an alternative to keeping it in a shelter cage for life, or starving on the street. The 24-hour veterinary hospital in the South-Eastern Administrative District “Panvet” provides an inexpensive cat catching service. We help in capturing sick and aggressive individuals that pose a potential danger to people and healthy animals. By contacting our clinic, you can always find out how much it costs to search for cats, as well as get answers to questions about animal care and maintenance.

One of the most acute epizootic and social problems of residents of modern megacities is the huge number of stray animals that, for one reason or another, find themselves on the streets of the city. Despite the numerous efforts of social services and charitable organizations, the number of street four-legged animals is growing rapidly, amounting, according to various estimates, from 20 to 100 thousand dogs and up to 300 thousand cats in the capital alone.

Most often, stray dogs live in markets, industrial zones, courtyards or entrances of residential buildings, and less often in landfills, parks, on the street, in metro lobbies or locomotive depots. Cats live in heated basements, heating mains, food and industrial facilities. Left without owners, four-legged animals run wild, can form flocks, and also change their habitat.

What are the main reasons for the appearance of stray animals?

The vast majority of homeless animals were already born on the street. According to the Moscow Government, only 1-5% of the total number of stray dogs and cats were abandoned or lost by their owners. The rest are not first-generation homeless.

The three main reasons for the increase in the population of such animals are:
- the presence of the necessary food supply, formed by leftover food in garbage containers and waste from food enterprises, as well as intentional complementary feeding by caregivers from among local residents;
- uncontrolled reproduction occurring in geometric progression;
- low level of demand for outbred animals taken from the street or from a shelter.

What is the essence of the problem?

Dogs and cats who find themselves on the street, unable to obtain their own food, are forced to beg from passers-by, destroy garbage dumps, and attack domestic and wild animals. In addition, following the instinct of self-preservation, stray animals gather in flocks, choose a unique habitat and jealously guard it from any uninvited guests.

Every year, about 30 thousand city residents who have suffered from attacks by stray animals turn to the capital's hospitals for medical help. In 2004, 2005 and 2008, accidents involving the death of people as a result of attacks by packs of dogs were recorded.

The first cases of dog infection with rabies in the last 50 years were recorded in Moscow in 2006 and are regularly recorded both in the city itself and in the adjacent Moscow region to this day.

In addition, stray four-legged animals are one of the main sources of infection of humans and domestic animals by pathogens of such dangerous infectious and invasive diseases as: leptospirosis, listeriosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, tularemia, plague, rickettsiosis, toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, trichinosis, helminthiasis and many others .

The free presence of packs of stray dogs on city streets causes manifestations of cruelty on the part of citizens who resort to illegal methods, in particular, poisoning dogs using poisonous baits.

According to the Commission on Rare Animals and Plants Endangered in Moscow, since the early 1980s, facts have been established of attacks by packs of stray dogs on wild animals - hares, squirrels, hedgehogs, wild boars, moose, roe deer, sika deer and surface-nesting birds. In 2000, stray dogs destroyed the last population of badgers in Moscow.

What are the main solutions?

Of course, the first priority is to solve the problem of regulating the number of stray animals through catching, sterilization, socialization, vaccination and subsequent placement in new families or shelters, as one of the most important components of any social projects.

How is stray animals caught?

There are several methods for capturing animals. If the animal is socially adapted, it is caught with a net or simply carried into the car. If the animal has low social adaptation or is aggressive, use a remote injector with sleeping pills and special restraints.

What are the rules governing the capture of stray animals?

On January 16, 2001, the Moscow Government approved regulations on the capture, transportation, sterilization, maintenance, registration and registration of stray dogs and cats in the city of Moscow, establishing that stray and stray animals are an integral part of the urban ecological environment and are protected by government authorities.

Regulation of numbers should be carried out using methods that exclude killing and cruelty to four-legged animals. The main method is sterilization and castration of males and females, preventive deworming and immunization, microchipping, inclusion in the register of stray animals with their subsequent return to their former habitat, shelters or transfer to new owners.

Only aggressive and socially unadapted animals that pose a threat to the population are subject to euthanasia. In such cases, the capture order must be accompanied by certificates of bites of citizens received at the district clinic no later than the next day after the attack.

The catching of stray dogs and cats must be carried out from 22.00 to 07.00 hours. In cases of a real threat to the life and health of citizens, round-the-clock trapping may be temporarily permitted for up to 15 days. The population must be informed about the beginning and period of validity of such a permit through the media in advance.

Specialists of the capture team must observe the principles of humanity when catching and transporting animals and are obliged to deliver them to temporary detention centers strictly on the day of removal from their places of permanent or temporary habitat.

Immediately before carrying out the capture procedure, specialists must make sure that there is no person accompanying the dog or cat.

When catching using the immobilization method, the shot should be fired only at a clearly visible target, perpendicular to the plane of the animal’s body, to prevent the projectile from ricocheting from sliding contact with the target.

Caught hunting, service and other purebred dogs, as well as other dogs that have a collar or signs of belonging to the owner, purebred cats and cats that have a collar or signs of belonging to the owner, must be kept in a temporary holding facility separately from other animals for six months.

Catchers are strictly prohibited from:

• catch stray dogs and cats in the presence of minors;
• appropriate captured dogs and cats, sell and transfer them to individuals and organizations;
• exceed the dosage of the special drug recommended for temporary immobilization;
• use baits, means and methods of catching without the recommendation and approval of veterinary authorities;
• when catching stray dogs and cats using the immobilization method, shoot at an unclearly visible target (in the bushes, in poor lighting, etc.), shoot along narrow spaces, shoot at a distance of more than 10 meters from the target, shoot from vehicles, and also shoot in the direction in which there are people;
• keep captured animals in a vehicle for more than 4 hours;

The municipal service for regulating the number of stray dogs and cats is located in the industrial zone of Perm, next to the factories. To get inside, you not only need to ring the doorbell at the iron gate, but also “push” the lone dog guarding the entrance. “She’s just hungry, so she’s waiting for handouts from there!” - the janitor shouts. The area enclosed by a fence includes a small administrative building and enclosures where stray animals live. The dog catching team is already assembled and ready to go.

There are several people in the team: a driver, a veterinarian and catchers. Catching begins in the morning and lasts all day. “They patrol all seven districts of the city,” says service director Galina Khodyreva. “Recently, a boy in Motovilikha was severely bitten. After this incident, an additional capture squad was created. It is private and works under an agreement with a municipal institution.” The catchers climb into the dented UAZ. A young veterinarian, Christina, is the last to get into the car.

“Now there are several addresses that you need to go to,” says driver-catcher Vladimir. - They are compiled by a dispatcher who receives calls from people. We have a list. It contains contact numbers and names of applicants. I can contact them on the way to clarify the details.”

I feel even more sorry for people

“Today we have applications in remote areas of Perm,” notes catcher Ivan, looking through the sheet. - The first place is here, not far away. They say the dog was tied to a tree and has been sitting there for two days. Come on, get there quickly!”

After looking at the address on the map, the driver gloomily says: “Okay, let's go!” Vladimir starts up the old “loaf”, and a team of catchers goes out into the open spaces of the city. “Not very hard work, to be honest. I used to work as a mechanic - in the cold all day, but here at least the conditions will be better. Well, I feel sorry for the dogs, but I feel even more sorry for the people. Especially children,” says catcher Victor, lighting one cigarette after another.

We've arrived. One-story houses, snow-covered roads, the street is quiet and deserted. Here is a dog tied with an iron chain to a tree. “On the way, hungry. And very angry. You definitely can't approach her. And she was wrapped around a tree, poor thing. First we’ll put him to sleep, then we’ll untie him,” Vladimir suggests. Having loaded a special pistol with an injection containing sleeping pills, he carefully approaches her. The dog growls and barks.

“Quiet, quiet, no one will hurt you,” says the catcher. Shot. The dog begins to twitch and howl shrilly.

“It takes five to seven minutes for a dog to switch off. But this doesn’t always happen,” explains Christina.

The dog continues to walk in a circle, wrapping the steel chain around the tree ever tighter. “We need to shoot again. “Only in the neck,” Victor shouts. “Bring me a syringe.” Another shot. “Looks like I got it. Like in the neck,” notes Vladimir, examining the dog from afar.

“Oh, poor thing. She was still there yesterday when I passed here this morning. The dog is not local, it is not clear where it came from here. And it’s unknown who tied her to the tree like that!” - groans a passing local resident who came to feed the animal.

“I wish I could tie that man to a tree in the bitter cold without food for two days! The one who did this to this dog. What kind of people? Aren't they scum?" - the catchers are indignant.

The dog is already lying by the tree - the sleeping pills have begun to take effect. He just shakes his head from side to side, as if trying to bring himself to his senses. But no. The tongue goes limp, the animal slowly falls asleep in the cold snow. Vladimir begins to untie the steel chain on the tree. "Ready! Open the car and we’ll load it!” - he shouts to the other catchers. After removing the uncomfortable collar from the dog's neck, the catchers place the limp dog in a cage in the trunk.

Dugouts for dogs

“They would give us a normal salary,” the guys in the car say. - They pay only seven thousand rubles a month. Even funny. We spend the same amount of money per day on medicine to euthanize dogs. In just one day! We are state employees, what can we do? This is the third time we have applied for a salary increase. We have already been refused twice.”

“I have a higher education. And I get a little more,” Christina keeps the conversation going. - By the way, we have a very humane catch. The medicine costs 2,400 rubles per package. And we need eight of these a day. But it is the safest and does not injure animals.”

We drive into the courtyard on Yursha Street. There are no dogs. Let's move on. “Sometimes this happens,” notes catcher Ivan. - We arrived, and the dogs sensed us and ran away. But we’ll stop by here again on the way back!” The old UAZ knocks and shakes from side to side. “We need a new car. That year they asked for money for it - they didn’t give it! They just figured that it takes a lot of money to repair the “loaf” - it’s cheaper to buy a new car,” the catchers complain.

“Ryzhiki! - Vladimir shouts when he sees the dogs. - Let's get them! Turning towards the garages, the catchers get out of the car. The dogs immediately run away in all directions. “God grant that we catch at least one,” the catchers are indignant.

Behind the garages are entire “dugouts” for dogs. And not simple, but hidden from human eyes, with several exits, comfortably furnished. There's even a carpet inside. “It’s all people do. Grandmothers carry food. Don’t they themselves understand that because of their compassion, they help dogs reproduce? So what's the result? They themselves step on the rake - there are more and more dogs, they become angrier and more dangerous,” says Vladimir.

“The dogs left the dugouts for a short time, but will return there when we leave,” adds Victor. We need to go to the base, otherwise the solution has run out. At the same time, we’ll unload the dog into the cage.”

Returning back, the catchers first of all placed the caught dog in a cage. The animal has already recovered a little and feels much more comfortable.

“Now she’ll eat and she’ll feel better. I hope the dog finds an owner,” says Christina. - Otherwise - legal euthanasia in six months. It's still a pity. There are about 500 dogs at this shelter.”

“I’m used to working in a male team,” the girl continues. - But I don’t travel with them very often. Most often I work at the base. I have a plan for spaying and neutering, plus surgery and treatment of animals.”

We heard them eating each other at night

Having made the necessary solutions for the syringes, the catchers moved into the city. “There’s not even time for lunch! We very rarely manage to eat, since we’re traveling all day,” Ivan says indignantly.

After driving through several places, the team never found the dogs. We saw a pack of dogs, but everyone was wearing collars. And you can't catch them. “The collar is a sign of the owner. We’ll catch him, and he’ll sue us!”

Next stop is Gaidar Street. Dogs and puppies live in the basement of a residential building. Grandmothers have already gathered at the site, telling creepy stories. “There are so many dogs in the basement, they have babies! They don't let you sleep. We heard them eating each other at night! And it stinks a lot,” says one of the grandmothers.

Having received the keys, Vladimir, Christina and Victor head to the dark basement. You can't even hear the dogs. And there are no rats either. The brigade moved forward along the tunnel. There is even less light here - the catchers turned on their flashlights. Eerie silence. And then, a few seconds later, a loud roar and barking was heard.

Two dogs ran out of the darkness like crazy to meet the catchers. Shot.

“One is ready! I’m for the second one,” Vladimir shouted and disappeared around the bend. Two minutes later Victor found the dog he had shot: “How did you survive here, dear?”

When the dog finally fell asleep, they put him in the car. “Where is Vladimir?” - Returning to the basement, the catcher asked. “In the very corner. The dog is buried there, we’re waiting for him to fall asleep!” - Christina explained. A few minutes later, the second dog was taken into the car.

A short break - time to catch your breath. Then again to another place. “We have a great job, we really do. They just pay little. And people don’t treat it so well. They think that we are some kind of flayers. So many times you will hear bad things about yourself. And someone might attack us with an ax in defense of an animal. There was a lot. Although all we do is help people and save animals,” says Vladimir. - Why do we work here for pennies? Are we not leaving? Who else will come here besides us? After all, someone has to do this. Moreover, now we have a very good team. So we hope for the best.”