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A coalition of the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2008 with the government of Ethiopia, moving the coalition one step closer to establishing a government vaccination and spay/neuter program for the homeless dogs of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr. Anteneh Roba, president of AGMF, and Gregory Castle, a founding member of Best Friends, signed the MOU on behalf of the coalition and His Excellency Fitsum Arega, head of the Bureau of Trade and Industry signed on behalf of the Ethiopian government. Under the terms of the MOU, the coalition will provide $45,000 for the equipment and medications necessary to establish the program at selected animal clinics in Addis Ababa. The personnel at these government clinics will be trained by veterinary professionals provided through the coalition from either India or Shri Lanka. The Ethiopian government has agreed to cease its extermination of homeless dogs as a means of population control in those areas to be served by the selected clinics for the duration of the program.

In October of this year, Dr. Anteneh Roba, president of AGMF, and Richard Crook, head of Best Friends rapid response team, will travel to Ethiopia to select the government animal clinics and delineate the areas of Addis Ababa to initiate the program. They will also develop a plan for the subsequent expansion of the program to the remainder of the capitol.

National Geographic interviewed Dr. Anteneh Roba about the plight of the four cave dogs in Ethiopia and here in the United States. This interview will be aired as part of Dog Town, a program produced by Best Friends Animal Society in cooperation with National Geographic to be aired on the National Geographic channel.