UPS Professors and students from Cuenca held free sterilization campaigns in Sigsig as part of a project carried out by the GLOBALGEN research group (Grupo de Investigación de Mejora Genética en Producción Global en Especies Ganaderas GLOBALGEN) and the university's veterinary medicine major. Professors Juan Leonardo Masache and Mónica Brito Solano accompanied 3rd and 4th year students to the campaigns. 

Over 80 cats and dogs were sterilized and there were also surgeries. The problem in Sigsig is there are lots of stray dogs causing social, environmental and economic problems and urgent actions need to be taken in order to implement technical and efficient management and control of pets. 

In this regard, UPS and the municipality of Sigsig are planning more sterilization campaigns for cats and dogs. The lack of regulations for having pets as well as the lack of education, awareness and responsibility of people have caused this problem to grow. This facilitates the free proliferation and increased risks in the incidence of zoonotic diseases and  bites. 

The veterinary medicine major and GLOBALGEN will continue to support these projects that are aimed at guaranteeing regulations and animal wellbeing.