Vision
Create a Conservation Model that will make a lasting contribution to the future of Painted Dogs and the lives of the local people.
Mission Statement
Painted Dog Conservation's mission is to protect and increase the range and numbers of painted dogs through hands on conservation, education, community involvement and international support.
Our belief is that conservation does not occur on an island. Our objective is to undertake a holistic approach that encompasses all the stakeholders, particularly school children and local communities.
We offer a holistic programme with five components
- Research
- Direct conservation of the dogs
- Conservation education
- Capacity building for the future
- Community development
History of PDC
PDC was originally established as Painted Dog Research in 1992 by Gregory Rasmussen. During the first two years the human-induced carnage from snares, shooting and road kills accounted for 95% of all dog mortalities. Early public presentations showed prejudice and ignorance and it was clear that unless this situation was addressed, the species could become extinct. The initial emphasis was thus to identify the critical issues and develop a pragmatic and holistic strategy that would make a substantial, lasting contribution to Painted Dogs, nature conservation and, very importantly, to the lives of the local people.
PDC Today
- PDC has seen the Painted Dog population rise from 400-450 in 1987 to around 750 in 2008. This has not occurred elsewhere in Africa during the same period.
- PDC has a staff of 67 supporting the conservation and community education programmes.
- PDC employs 28 men in three anti-poaching units. They have been successful in gathering over 12,000 poaching snares since 2001
- Further reductions in dog mortality have been achieved through road signs and retro-reflective/anti-snare dog collaring.
- PDCs rehabilitation facility has served 29 dogs, since becoming operational in 2003. 25 of them have been returned to the wild.
- 1,000 children per year attend the Bush Camp.
- The Painted Dog Interpretive Hall at the CCEC centre opened in 2007 and now attracts many visitors per month.
Community development is thriving and 30 artisans work each day, producing snare wire sculptures.