A unique animal welfare centre
We’re proud to be the first animal welfare centre with the regional character in the Balkans.
On February 28 to March 1, 40+ participants, representing 7 countries in the Balkan region, gathered in Tuhelj, Croatia for the 1st meeting of Animal Welfare Experts hosted by the Croatian Veterinary Institute (CVI) and RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). This meeting was intended to summarize and evaluate the activities of the Western Balkans Veterinary Network (WBVN) and pave the way for the new regional advisory board. As a conclusion, participants adopted a resolution to create a Regional Animal Welfare Centre (RAWC) with CVI offering a secretariat and RSPCA sponsorship over the 2 years (2014-2015).
Our name is RAWC
The name of the organisation is Regional Animal Welfare Centre (RAWC), and the structure of the RAWC has been agreed at the 1st steering meeting held in Zagreb on 30 March to 1 April 2014. The group is steered by the ‘steering committee’’, and CVI will provide the administrative support and the Secretariat for the period of two years, after which the Secretariat can be provided by another member on a rolling basis.
Simple but effective structure
Steering Committee will appoint a scientific panel and approve an expert database to engage scientific and technical expertise on an ad hoc basis and in line with the agreed work plan. The Secretariat will coordinate the deployment of experts in agreement with the Steering Committee. Applications for Steering Committee membership are through the RAWC secretariat. The Steering Committee will consider applications at each Steering Committee meeting. The Steering Committee makes decision on committee membership by consensus. Final editorial decisions on key guidance are also by consensus. On joining RAWC, each future member assigns a representative (rep) from their organization to act as the main point of contact for RAWC. The RAWC rep will be provided with all details of Steering Committee meetings and communications. The RAWC rep is responsible for the way in which their organization engages with RAWC, ensuring that it is represented at key RAWC meetings and for raising the profile of RAWC within their organization. The RAWC rep is also the first point of contact whenever the RAWC Secretariat needs assistance or information about the member organization. It is therefore recommended that the RAWC rep be a member of staff who is able to pass on issues of importance quickly within their organization to ensure that these are dealt with in a manner appropriate to the organization.
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