A single digital base of homeless animals in Moscow

2021: Creating a single digital base of homeless animals

On November 17, 2021, the Moscow Department of Information Technology announced that the metropolitan government is working to create a common electronic base for all shelters of homeless animals. It will collect questionnaires of dogs and cats that are in the care of shelters.

As reported, at the first stage, a prototype is being tested, which is based on the technology of automated accounting of animals in shelters. This solution will allow shelter employees and volunteers to simplify document management and reporting, and ensure control over the correct maintenance of animals. Personal profiles will include information about the type, field, weight, color, estimated age and state of health of each animal. There will also be marks on vaccination, parasite treatments and other veterinary documents, as well as on the completion of a course of socialization, which allows you to establish relations with a person.

In the future, the base will allow creating a public catalog of animals from shelters. It can be used by anyone who wants to find a four - legged friend and give him home care. The catalog is planned to be placed on the portal mos.ru.

As of November 2021, about 17 thousand homeless dogs and cats are held in metropolitan shelters. And although shelter staff and volunteers make every effort to ensure that their wards live in dryness and warmth, are healthy and fed, they cannot replace the pets of loving owners. Therefore, there was a need to create a single base that will systematize information about animals, and in the future will help create a public service for the addition of dogs and cats. said Eduard Lysenko, head of the capital's Information Technology Department

As of November 2021, the innovation laboratory of the Department of Information Technology launched a pilot project to test a single electronic database of homeless animals. So far, two city shelters are connected to the base.

The pilot version of the project is being tested on the basis of the Zelenograd and Zoorassvet shelters. They contain 450 cats and more than 1.2 thousand dogs. Information about each animal will be entered into the system. Employees of shelters are already developing the base, they collect documents and start electronic profiles for their wards. As guests enter the shelters, the base will be replenished. noted Vyacheslav Torsunov, head of the Department of Housing and Communal Services of Moscow

Testing of the electronic base will be completed by the end of November 2021. If the experiment is successful, the base will be introduced into the veterinary automated system (VetAS), and other city and private animal shelters will begin to connect to work with the system. Also, a digital file cabinet can be placed on the mos.ru.

As of November 2021, shelters for homeless cats and dogs keep records of all guests. Employees draw up acts on animal receipts, veterinary examinations and any manipulations related to their treatment, training, maintenance. All information is stored either on paper or in electronic form. At the same time, all data are systematized.

To find out how long a pet has been vaccinated or examined, to collect his dossier or to compile a questionnaire for future owners, it takes a lot of time. In fact, it will be necessary on papers to trace his life from the moment he is settled in a shelter.

A single electronic database will make it easier to obtain information about a particular animal, since all document scans will be attached to each profile. In addition, the database will include data on whether the animal was previously attached. If it suddenly ends up on the street again and falls into another shelter, employees identify it by chip number. This optimizes their task, since you do not need to perform unnecessary procedures and studies. Experts will immediately find out if he needs special care.

If an animal that has re-entered the shelter needs lifelong treatment, thanks to the electronic database, employees will be aware of this. They will begin procedures from the first days, and not after the results of medical tests come.

With the help of this system, it will be easier for employees of shelters to generate internal reference materials, as well as reports to the authorities. For example, shelters compile a weekly report on their cats and dogs. The document indicates the number of animals received and dropped out, transferred to the owners of the pets. If there is an electronic database, in order to form such a paper, it is enough to press one button, and not to enter all the information manually. Shelters send documents to the GBU "Dorinvest" and prefectures.

Only homeless cats and dogs who have undergone the necessary medical procedures and a course of socialization are planned to be included in the public catalog of animals intended for those who are looking for a pet.

Many animals that have previously lived on the street or are simply subjected to severe stress can show protective aggression. Often, very frightening, incredulous animals enter the shelter. Even an experienced person may not be able to adapt the animal to new conditions. In such cases, professional assistance is required. And in the capital's shelters they provide it.

One of the most important tasks of volunteers and employees of shelters is to socialize their wards and find them owners. Specialists teach dogs to the main teams, teach them to walk on a leash and interact with people, and cats are taught behavior skills in a home environment. Since 2010, more than 28 thousand animals from shelters have found their home. specified by Vyacheslav Torsunov

A photo will be attached to each questionnaire in the catalog, all data will be indicated here, as well as recommendations for care. In the questionnaire you can also see the phone number of the shelter, which contains a cat or dog.

The addition of homeless animals follows the same rules. The potential owner will need to come and meet a future friend. For example, it is advisable to take a joint walk with a dog. If a person carefully considered the decision and is ready to take responsibility, the shelter enters into an agreement with him.

As of November 2021, 13 city animal shelters are operating in Moscow. You can come to any of them without a record, you need to have a passport with yourself. The work schedule is available on the official websites of city shelters. When visiting, it is necessary to observe security measures related to the distribution of COVID-19: guests are asked to wear masks.