The PAWS mission is multi-faceted to promote sustainable, humane animal control while at the same time teaching the community about ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ and animal welfare. This includes the importance of spay & neuter and how to properly care for pets, but also extends to the humane treatment of all animals in Palau.
PAWS overarching goal is to spay and neuter 70% of the domestic dog and cat population in Palau, after which the animal populations will stabilize. “The outcome at this 70% sterilization level is that the successful breeding encounters of the remaining 30% are reduced to the point that births then occur at a rate only great enough to replace normal attrition.” (Dr Marvin Mackie, 2003). The goal is not to have a program of continued animal control by euthanasia in Palau, but successful population control by spay/neuter and education. This will have a direct positive effect on the zoonotic disease transmission potential and public health issues arising from Palau’s domestic animal population and follows the ‘One Health’ approach, where healthier pets make healthier humans.
