Dog population management in the region is one of the targeted priorities set by RAWC. Most countries in the Balkans have national legislation regulating control of stray dogs and set rules for owned animals, including commercial breeding and keeping of animals, as well as identification of animals. The management of stray dog populations remains to be a challenge that has not been effectively tackled. There is a great need for a long term preventative approach that targets the source of unwanted animals.
TRAINING OF TRAINERS
With that in mind, Regional Animal Welfare Centre have organised Training of trainers based on ICAM dog population management indicators from 11th to 16th of March in Skopje Macedonia. Main goal of the training was to train sufficient number of regional trainers which will in the future educate regional stakeholders. Training was conducted by Elly Hibby, PhD, an Independent Animal Welfare Consultant and Scientific Coordinator to the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) Coalition. 
The training comprised theoretical courses, practical workshops as well as E-learning modules using an online platform. It also included day to day population monitoring on the streets, as well as surveying the general public regarding the stray dog problem.Trainees (Dunja Kovač, Tomislav Mikuš, Emilija Poposka, Dimitar Terzievski and Maruša Weitzer) represented different institutions from the region with different, but complementary backgrounds all with the plan for further development of the regional DPM program which we hope to start implementing during 2018.