Kwispel- prijs: 'Tail-Wagging Prize’

Hond in Asiel: Dog in Shelter

Below is the English translation for an article recently published in Hond, the magazine for the Royal Dutch Dog Protection Agency.

24 hours, 7 days a week. That's the time zoo animals spend in captivity. During this time they eat, drink, and sleep, and there is an opportunity for interaction with peers and/or caretakers. The keeping and care of the animals is grafted on safety, hygiene and efficiency and within the frameworks that are pleasant and commonplace for humans. Caregivers start their working day at 8 am and go home at 5 pm. However, the animals are left behind. 24 hours, 7 days a week in their stay.

Parallel
The parallel with how we keep dogs in shelter and guesthouse situations is remarkable. Here, too, the handlers start at 8 a.m. and the dogs sit alone from 5 p.m. onwards. Until the next morning. Here too, safety, efficiency, and hygiene are top priorities when building the enclosures. Because of this, dogs are kept in long corridors with kennel after kennel on both sides, with only space for one dog in each kennel Safe, efficient and hygienic. But is it also a nice place for a dog? Has any thought been given to his wellbeing? Has any thought been given to the prevention of chronic stress?

Kwispel- prijs 'Tail-Wagging Prize’ 2018
AnimalConcepts and the University of Stirling developed a workshop for zoo staff to help them think about the needs of animals for which they care. To what extent do they address these concerns and what adjustments could be made to improve them? An interesting and innovative idea that, in our opinion, can also be applied to dogs. In 2018 AnimalConcepts launched in cooperation with the Royal Dutch Dog Protection the 24/7 dog wellbeing concept for shelters. During the workshop, 35 employees/managers and administrators from various Dutch animal shelters worked on an action plan to improve dog welfare in their shelter, within their own specific possibilities.

The action plans were presented to a jury consisting of Sabrina Brando (AnimalConcepts), Hanneke Reitsma (magazine Onze Hond) and Sieneke Groenman (Koninklijke Hondenbescherming). The assessment criteria were:

Happy Visit the Zoo Day!

Yesterday was Happy Visit the Zoo Day, we hope you have visited your local zoo or aquarium (zoos)? Many countries around the world celebrate various holidays this time of year, and children are often on break from school, which is why the 27th of December was the perfect day for a fun family outing. Zoos have undergone tremendous transformation since humans first started taking animals into their care. From ancient menageries to modern institutions dedicated to optimal welfare, conservation, and education, contemporary zoos have drastically reformed life for animals in human care. It’s always a good opportunity to celebrate good zoos and all the hard work they do. For 2020 you can be on the look out for an accredited institution near you and start planning a trip that will prove to be fun, educational, and inspiring for everyone!

This Month in AnimalConcepts History

This month in AnimalConcepts history – Seven years ago, in December 2012, Chessington World of Adventures Resort in collaboration with AnimalConcepts organised an Animal Training Seminar. The four-day event brought together roughly 30 students, trainers, and teachers to explore animal learning with an emphasis on positive reinforcement training for husbandry procedures in the modern zoo. Sabrina was joined by speakers Linda Berggren (Chessington World of Adventures) and Tim Sullivan (Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo) to present on training games, classical and operant conditioning, behavioural ecology, human-animal relationships, and other aspects of animal training. As part of the seminar, participants were given multiple opportunities to learn about animal training hands-on in the zoo. With the help of our collaborator Federico we are creating different media, documenting the 15 years of activities of AnimalConcepts, so keep an eye out for the video of the event which is in the making and will be shared when ready!

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