Stray dogs
the anonymous
The plight of strays is one of the most visible animal welfare issues in the world today. Dogs are one of the most affected animals - of the estimated 500 million dogs in the world, approximately 75% are strays.
Life on the streets is hard. Stray dogs will fight over the limited amounts of food and that which can be scavenged. Injuries sustained this way are rarely treated.
Tumours, skin infections and open sores are common for stray dogs. Over three quarters of puppies in developing countries die in agony from diseases including rabies and distemper.
Conflict with human communities
Stray dogs, frequently suffering from hunger and illness, seek food and shelter in human communities. They are often seen as a nuisance and health hazard by the people who live alongside them.
With a lack of knowledge and resources, communities in developing countries frequently resort to randomly culling strays, by poisoning, electrocuting or shooting dogs.
These methods are inhumane, causing the animals great pain and suffering. They are also ineffective in the long term as they do not address the cause of the problem.
Responsible pet ownership
In many countries the majority of stray animals have been abandoned by their owners or are owned but allowed to roam freely. The unsupervised dogs then breed, resulting in unwanted puppies.
Reference: WSPA
Life on the streets is hard. Stray dogs will fight over the limited amounts of food and that which can be scavenged. Injuries sustained this way are rarely treated.
Tumours, skin infections and open sores are common for stray dogs. Over three quarters of puppies in developing countries die in agony from diseases including rabies and distemper.
Conflict with human communities
Stray dogs, frequently suffering from hunger and illness, seek food and shelter in human communities. They are often seen as a nuisance and health hazard by the people who live alongside them.
With a lack of knowledge and resources, communities in developing countries frequently resort to randomly culling strays, by poisoning, electrocuting or shooting dogs.
These methods are inhumane, causing the animals great pain and suffering. They are also ineffective in the long term as they do not address the cause of the problem.
Responsible pet ownership
In many countries the majority of stray animals have been abandoned by their owners or are owned but allowed to roam freely. The unsupervised dogs then breed, resulting in unwanted puppies.
Reference: WSPA
Every year, millions of dogs from around the world are poisoned, or shot in an effort by municipalities to rid their streets of the 'menace' of stray dogs. These dogs are treated as nothing more than a vermin to be exterminated.
Dogs follow their basic instincts and breed to propagate their species. Humans can make the decision to control their own population, and they have also been given the gift of taking responsibility for dogs.
Sadly some people see that responsibility as a power to kill unwanted dogs sometimes in the most inhumane of ways. This has been proved ineffective as a method of population control because the vacuum left is soon filled by other dogs from surrounding areas who move in to utilise the resources available, or by the existing dogs using these resources to raise more puppies.
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is the only effective method to control and reduce animal over-population.
Dogs follow their basic instincts and breed to propagate their species. Humans can make the decision to control their own population, and they have also been given the gift of taking responsibility for dogs.
Sadly some people see that responsibility as a power to kill unwanted dogs sometimes in the most inhumane of ways. This has been proved ineffective as a method of population control because the vacuum left is soon filled by other dogs from surrounding areas who move in to utilise the resources available, or by the existing dogs using these resources to raise more puppies.
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is the only effective method to control and reduce animal over-population.
Why is dog population management important for public health?
FAO / WSPA /ICT held an expert meeting in Banna, Italy, with a multidisciplinary group of experts that addressed the different reasons and options for dog population management!