1 July 2022, Yerevan. The first vet clinic in Dilijan has opened its doors, where qualified veterinary professionals will neuter/spay, provide medical check-ups and treatment of stray dogs of the town.
The program has been initiated by the business community of Dilijan and the To Live Foundation, and has been implemented by the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Dilijan community administration, residents of the town and representatives of local business community.
Dilijan is one of the largest communities in Armenia and is seen as one of the busiest destinations for tourists; yet, the significant number of stray animals is priority problem, which raises concerns among the residents and the guests of the town.
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The territory of the vet clinic has been renovated and the much-needed medical equipment has been purchased as part of the program. An invited specialist from Yerevan will train 3 local veterinaries by end of this year. The specialists will have an opportunity to perform neutering/spaying procedures, vaccinations, and, in some cases, surgeries.
“TUF Foundation, founded by social entrepreneur Ruben Vardanyan, has been implementing cultural, educational, and tourism development programs in Dilijan for over 10 years. The foundation constantly keeps the community problems in the focus of its attention, trying to solve them in partnership with the community administration, and by engaging residents of Dilijan, using the potential of business community and the Diaspora,” says Marietta Matevosyan, the director of the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation.
She added that neutering/spaying of dogs is recognized as the most humane method to minimize the population of stray animals in the world. With the opening of the clinic the town will become safer, cleaner place, so that kids, residents, and the guests won’t be cautious of walking in the evening. Series of lectures also will be held for kids and teens in an effort to prevent cruelty against animals.
The clinic is expected to have neutered/spayed around 500 stray dogs by February 2023. As part of the initiative, a specialized store of grooming accessories will open in the town; there are also plans to establish a stray dogs’ foster club.
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About Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation
In July 2020 the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation undertook the projects by the IDeA Foundation targeted at the tourism and urbanism development in Gyumri, Dilijan, Tatev, Artsakh, and Yerevan. The Foundation develops innovative projects in tourism and urbanism, promotes sustainable regional development and positions Armenia on the world map as a competive tourism destination. Philanthropist and social entrepreneur Ruben Vardanyan is the Founder of the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation.
