The housing and utilities department at Kharkiv City Council and British animal rights organization Naturewatch Foundation have signed a cooperation agreement, the council's press service has reported.
The document was signed by the director of the department, Roman Nekhoroshkov, and Naturewatch Campaign Director Jennie Ruud on February 20.
“In fact, cooperation with Naturewatch Foundation has already lasted for a year, and today we officially consolidated our relations. We confirmed with this step that we are seeking European standards in the treatment of stray animals,” the press service quoted Nekhoroshkov as saying.
The agreement foresees that animal rights defenders will conduct an independent count of the stray dog population in Kharkiv and provide assistance in the sterilization of stray animals kept in the shelter of the city center for homeless animals.
In addition, Naturewatch Foundation pledged to develop and submit recommendations to the executive bodies of the city council to improve animal welfare and standards of treatment of domestic and stray animals and conduct training courses for adults and children regarding “responsible pet ownership education.”
