The fourteenth International Companion Animal Welfare Conference (ICAWC) was held in Vravrona, Greece last week and proved a huge success. Some 260 delegates from 31 countries, representing 124 organisations worldwide attended the three day conference beginning on the 16th October 2012.
The annual conference organised by Dogs Trust, welcomed friends who work in animal welfare from across the globe to network, fundraise and exchange ideas on some of the most prevalent animal welfare issues to date.
ICAWC founder and Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin OBE, comments:
“It is so very rewarding to see that after 14 years the conference continues to grow from strength-to-strength, acting as an essential tool for those involved in animal welfare. Participant networking was at a high this year as the sought-after places quickly filled up, making it the most successful ICAWC yet. Congratulations to all involved for making it such a huge triumph.”
The Topics Covered
Over three days, participants were asked to attend four workshops and listen to a number of international speakers on subjects ranging from fundraising tips, recruiting and retaining volunteers, neutering, and dog behaviour.
On pet travel and diseases, Paula Boyden, veterinary director at Dogs Trust, pointed to the importance of rabies control in Eastern Europe and the dangers of tapeworm which can be fatal to dogs.
One of the most admired speakers was Rebecca Leonardi, from Paws for Progress, who developed the first prison-based dog training programme in the UK - demonstrating just one of the many ways dogs can help humans. Here, young offenders learn important commitment skills and grow in confidence as the programme teaches them how to train and build relationships with rescue dogs.
ICAWC participants enjoyed the record-breaking warm weather Greece had to offer and the positive atmosphere sent participants away with the drive to create further success when tackling animal welfare issues in their home countries.