The number of stray animals in Irpin grew after 2022: some residents left, abandoning cats and dogs, and some never came back. The city is addressing this not through trapping for its own sake but with a programme of sterilisation and return to the same location.

The procurement terms have been published in the Prozorro public procurement system.

What the list of services covers

According to the tender documentation, the contractor must provide humane trapping of animals, their sterilisation, vaccination against rabies, parasite treatment and identification. Post-operative care is also provided for where needed.

Identification here is not a formality. A chipped and marked animal no longer enters the next trapping cycle, and the city sees the real picture of the population instead of rough estimates.

Why sterilisation is cheaper than a shelter

The method by which an animal is trapped, sterilised, vaccinated and returned to its usual environment is considered worldwide the most effective way to reduce a population without euthanasia. A sterilised animal produces no offspring but holds its territory, keeping new unsterilised ones out.

The alternative — keeping animals in a shelter — costs the community considerably more per animal and requires permanent premises and staff. That is why cities with limited budgets usually opt for a sterilisation programme.

Deadlines

All work is expected to be completed by 20 December 2026. That gives the contractor about five months — an intensive schedule, considering that each animal requires surgery, several days of recovery and a return to the place where it was caught.