Vittoria Sogno
Animal Welfare ILHA, Mozambique, April 2020
Vittoria Sogno is the co-founder of Animal Welfare ILHA (AWI) on the island of Mozambique. Her work educating local populations and creating awareness of the plight of animals have dramatically changed attitudes to dogs on the island.
After noticing poor attitudes towards dogs in the community, Vittoria sought a way to make change. Now, every dog that has been sterilized receives a beaded collar to indicate that the animal is not a threat. The initiative has been successful in reducing dog bites and improving attitudes surrounding dog populations in the area over the last several years.
In the past, people were stoning and beating dogs. They had no idea how these animals could become an integral part of their daily lives. In comparison, today dogs roam the streets and beaches of Mozambique freely. They are happy, loved and well cared for. The majority of requests for rabies vaccinations now comes from the local population. “For AWI, this change in attitude is the most gratifying part of our work,” commented Vittoria.
Receiving her Rabies Hero Award Vittoria said: “We are a small clinic and every bit of positive feedback makes it all the more worthwhile. This award will give everyone a morale boost and an incentive to do better”.
