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Free-roaming dog populations ensue from irresponsible dog ownership and abandonment. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Hong Kong SAR offers practical solutions to control dog population growth by providing a range of different birth control programs. We present the first results of a trial Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program in Hong Kong SAR; with a free-roaming dog population on Cheung Chau Island (southwest). During the 3-year study, the SPCA undertook surveys to assess population size and trapped, desexed, and, where possible, rehomed free-roaming dogs. We report that a total of 182 dogs were encountered during the period. We estimate that an average of 75% of the population was desexed, reaching the threshold for successful TNR studies. The results of our study show that TNR can assist with free-roaming dog population control and provide guidance for future programs, in Asia and Hong Kong SAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research uses an online questionnaire (n = 1148) to survey the Bulgarian public's attitudes and behaviors toward owned and stray cats and explore potential barriers to stray cat population management. Generally, the survey participants indicated positive attitudes toward stray cats, with 82.0% of the respondents reporting feeling sorry for stray cats. Semi-ownership behaviors were prevalent, with 82.5% feeding stray cats but only 18.1% neutering the cats they fed, posing a barrier to stray cat management. Overall, the respondents held mixed attitudes toward neutering. Of all cat owners sampled (n = 859) only 47.2% had neutered all their cats and 44.4% of owners allowed cats outdoor access or their cats lived exclusively outdoors. Multinomial logistic regression predicted that intact cats were more likely to be allowed to roam free and reproduce, which may present a significant barrier to stray cat population management. This is the first academic survey on attitudes toward cats in Bulgaria and the findings should contribute to stray cat management and ultimately improve feline welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 1855, the British House of Commons appointed a Select Committee to investigate the parlous state of the British army then encamped before Sebastopol. Originally a radical project driven by the Radical MP John Arthur Roebuck, the Sebastopol Committee wound up tamer than its origins implied. At its outset, it collapsed a government, and prompted anguished complaints from traditionalists that it was overthrowing the constitution. Yet in choosing to work through a Select Committee – a long-established form, albeit one not previously used to investigate an ongoing military operation – Roebuck made a calculated gamble that did not entirely pay off. Sacrificing control over his Committee's composition to secure wide parliamentary approval and thereby legitimacy, he wound up unable to influence its conclusions in his preferred direction. Instead, his more 'establishment' colleagues declined to censure individuals, refused even to consider the government's wider strategic approach, and produced a set of recommendations almost identical to what the government was doing anyway. The effect was to neuter Roebuck's radical inquiry. In the end, the fact that the Sebastopol Committee happened matters more than anything it did, or anything it found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses John Gentry's book, "Neutering the CIA: Why U.S. Intelligence versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences," which examines Donald Trump's relationship with the Intelligence Community (IC) and the CIA. Gentry argues that previous presidents, such as Reagan and Bush, have politicized intelligence, but Trump's open war against the IC is unprecedented. Gentry also claims that there is a "Deep State" within the IC that opposes Trump and that Obama and his appointees built this Deep State for political reasons. However, the article criticizes Gentry's lack of evidence to support these claims and highlights the importance of independent leadership and integrity within the intelligence community. [Extracted from the article]

"Neutering the CIA: why US intelligence versus Trump has long-term consequences" by John A. Gentry explores the attacks on Donald Trump by some retired intelligence community executives and the implications for the relationship between intelligence and the Chief Executive. Gentry argues that the CIA's culture has become more liberal and politicized, leading to the attacks on Trump. He also examines the changes in the CIA's personnel and training that may have contributed to this politicization. However, Gentry's argument is weaker when it assumes that these changes are the root cause of the attacks on Trump. The public dispute between Trump and the intelligence community may have damaged the reputation of the IC and created an atmosphere where politicized analysis is more accepted. However, the overall impact on US intelligence is likely manageable, and the CIA's role in intelligence has been marginalized since 2004. [Extracted from the article]

Cultural competence is recognized as critical to reducing disparities within human healthcare settings, but it is rarely incorporated into evaluations of companion animal services. We developed and validated an animal welfare-focused cultural competence instrument with client and provider versions. We then used the instrument to assess the relationship between animal welfare providers' cultural competence and services provided to clients in historically underserved communities. 24 providers across 17 sites participated in the provider survey. 422 clients across those sites also participated and had their service utilization data analyzed. We found a significant correlation between the number of client-provider interactions and their level of agreement within the instrument's "competence/confidence" subscale. We also found that these interactions had a significant correlation with veterinarian care and spay/neuter services. This study provides initial evidence that increasing the use of culturally competent engagement strategies has the potential to increase service utilization for pets in historically underserved communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor lateralization is commonly observed through preferential paw use in dogs and cats. Previous studies have uncovered sex-related differences in paw preference, hypothesizing that these differences may be related to sex hormones. The current study aimed to compare neutered and entire individuals to further investigate whether paw preference is influenced by sex hormones. Dog and cat owners were required to fill in a questionnaire with demographic information such as sex and neuter status of their pets. They then carried out two simple paw preference tasks within their homes: a "reaching for food" task and a "reaching for a toy" task. This study revealed an overall preference among the 272 dogs and 137 cats tested to use their right paw in both tasks. In cats, the degree of paw preference (i.e., regardless of the direction) was significantly influenced by an interaction between neuter status and life stage. Also in dogs, both life stage and an interaction between neuter status and life stage tended to influence the degree of paw preference. Post-hoc power analysis revealed a lack of statistical power, suggesting that future studies using a larger sample size are needed to further investigate potential effects of neuter status on paw preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey of 991 US adults examines differences in attitudes among the general US population toward spaying and neutering cats and dogs, with a focus on differences between urban and rural respondents and the influence of demographic characteristics. While current literature focuses on sterilization behaviors of guardians, this study will contribute to a better understanding of attitudes in the general population. Twelve items measure attitudes toward spay/neuter. Each item is analyzed with a separate multiple regression to understand urban–rural, cat–dog and demographic differences in attitudes. Results indicate fewer urban–rural and cat–dog differences than expected, though rural respondents are less likely to find the practice cruel, think animals should have a litter before sterilization, or support laws to require sterilization. People asked about dogs are more likely to agree that spay/neuter operations are expensive but are less likely to believe it "is the right thing to do" than those asked about cats. The most prevalent characteristics impacting attitudes are guardianship, age, and gender. Guardians are more likely to attribute positive health and behavioral outcomes to sterilization and feel that it is morally and socially positive. Compared with baby boomers, the Millennial generation (18–34) and Generation X (35–54) have less knowledge of sterilization and more concerns about its safety. Millennials are also less likely to find sterilization to be morally and socially positive. Women showed more support than men overall for sterilization as morally and socially positive and are more accepting of social and political management of sterilization. Overall, these findings highlight social support for spay/neuter, though less support for managing it with political intervention such as laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: To describe a simple, minimally invasive method of ovariohysterectomy via a unilateral flank approach in guinea pigs, for use in routine desexing of healthy female guinea pigs or treatment of ovarian cysts. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 41 client-owned guinea pigs submitted for routine desexing or treatment of ovarian cysts. They included 16 healthy female guinea pigs aged 8–12 months (Group 1), and 15 females aged from 9 months to 3 years (Group 2), and 10 females aged from 3 to 7 years (Group 3) with different-sized ovarian cysts. Prior to surgery, the animals received clinical examination, blood testing (complete blood count and serum biochemistry profile) and examination of the abdomen using ultrasonography, to assess the condition of the reproductive tract and ensure the guinea pigs were fit for surgery. Ovariohysterectomy was performed via a unilateral flank incision made close to the erector spinae muscle starting approximately 1 cm caudal to the last rib. Both ovaries, uterine horns, and the uterine cervix were localised, ligated, and dissected through this unilateral retroperitoneal incision. RESULTS: Ovariohysterectomy was successfully completed via a single flank incision in 38/41 (93%) guinea pigs. Three guinea pigs with ovarian cysts from Group 3, which were >6 years old died during surgery due to circulatory and respiratory failure under anaesthesia. In the remaining 38 cases, surgery proceeded without complications. A further two guinea pigs from Group 3 were reluctant to move or eat for the first 3 days after surgery but recovered after provision of supportive care. All 38 animals fully recovered and wound healing was normal. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of ovariohysterectomy via a unilateral flank incision in guinea pigs. This approach is a simple, minimally invasive and safe alternative to the midline or bilateral flank approaches currently used for surgery of the reproductive tract in guinea pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Influential parts of the veterinary profession, and notably the American Veterinary Medicine Association, are promoting the routine neutering of cats and dogs that will not be used for breeding purposes. However, this view is not universally held, even among representatives of the veterinary profession. In particular, some veterinary associations in Europe defend the view that when reproduction is not an issue, then neutering, particularly of dogs, should be decided on a case-by-case basis. However, even in Europe the American view is gaining ground. In light of this situation, this paper considers whether or not routine neutering of cats and dogs, in cases where uncontrolled reproduction is not an issue, can be ethically defended. The starting point of this consideration is a review of the veterinary literature on the effects of neutering on companion animals. The focus is both on the welfare of neutered animals themselves, and on behavioral and other effects that may not directly affect the animals' welfare, but that may be motivating factors for owners to neuter their companion animals. Here it becomes clear that justification for routine neutering, particularly of confined male dogs, does not follow from claims about the dogs' own welfare. The costs of neutering male dogs, in terms of the increased risk of very serious diseases, may well outweigh the benefits. Then, building on this veterinary material, but including some other, additional considerations, the paper goes through some possible ethical approaches to routine animal neutering. These ethical approaches offer different degrees of concern about, or opposition to, routine neutering. Finally, based on this ethical exploration, it is argued that routine neutering, at least in the case of non-free-ranging companion animals, raises significant ethical questions, and from some ethical perspectives, looks highly problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the attitudes and actions of 281 dog owners towards neutering their animals is reported from New Providence, The Bahamas. Owner attitudes towards neutering are associated with different sterilization rates of dogs. While owners’ gender is associated with differences in attitudes, these differences are not necessarily associated with owner behavior with respect to neutering their animals. Men, more than women, want to have animals for long-term breeding. No evidence is found to support the belief that men are less likely to neuter their dogs than women, but younger owners are less likely than older owners to neuter their dogs. A comparison with a study from Australia suggests that Bahamians are more likely to project human traits on to their animals and so appear more reluctant to have their dogs neutered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]