stray animals problem and solution essay

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• STRAY ANIMALS: A SOCIAL IMPACT AND SOLUTIONS

Dr. Anshita Sharma 1 , M.V.Sc. (AGB), Dr. Priyanka Meena 2 , Dr. Brajesh Kumar 3

Assistant Professor, 1 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Assistant Professor, , 2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Assistant Professor, 3 Department of Livestock Product Technology, Apollo college of veterinary medicine, Jaipur

Corresponding author – [email protected]

In India, the issue of stray animals is not new. These animals frequently halt traffic flow, resulting in major road accidents. The situation worsens at night, when the freely roaming makes it difficult for drivers to spot them due to darkness. Many lives have already been lost, and many more have been injured, as a result of stray animal accidents. Due to excessive barking and biting, stray animals such as dogs have become a major issue in cities, causing not only noise pollution but also health concerns for human society.

• What are stray animals?

Stray animals are defined as street animals that are born and reproduce on the street and have never been owned, lost animals that could not find their way home, or abandoned animals that are no longer wanted and are abandoned on the street or taken to a shelter by their owner. Stray animals are NOT wild animals; they live as domestic animals wherever they go.

The main cause of stray animals is abandonment, which is followed by uncontrolled breeding among them, resulting in the second, third, and so on generations of street animals.  Time constraints may be a factor in pet abandonment because people underestimate the time required to properly care for their pets. A behavioral problem such as aggression, medical problems, the cost of pet ownership, lifestyle changes such as health difficulties and financial issues for owners, housing problems, and so on, are exacerbated by a lack of legislation or enforcement regarding abandonment, identification, and registration.

As a stray animal, large animals, particularly cows, pose more challenges. The majority of these cows come from illegal or unregistered roadside dairies and cattle sheds; many are abandoned by owners due to loss of reproductive ability, old age, cessation of milk production, or inability to afford them any longer. Non-milking cattle are also released to save feed. After milking the cattle, the owners let them go so they can graze outside.

• Human health concerns related to stray animals

There are numerous stray animal-related health concerns to human society. Most of the animals that roam the streets of cities are unhealthy; they do not eat grass or other hygienic foods. Most of these are constantly eating food from garbage and leftovers, and many of them are obviously diseased or sick, raising health concerns for both humans and animals. Animals serve as reservoirs for many of the most dangerous food-borne and water-borne pathogens. Manure and wastewater from animal feeding operations have the potential to introduce pathogens and pollutants into the environment, including antibiotics, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), hormones, sediments, heavy metals, organic matter, and ammonia. Some of the illnesses caused by these agents result in only temporary health problems, while others result in severe crises and even death.

Steps towards solution

Large animals, particularly cows, contribute significantly to the stray animal population. The solution is to shut down the unauthorized dairy farms. Following that, the establishment of large Gaushalas in appropriate locations capable of caring for a large number of stray cattle must be promoted. A dairy or cattle shed’s license should be revoked if its cattle escape from its premises and these dairies should be relocated outside of the city.

Furthermore, stray cattle owners who allow their cattle to roam freely in city streets must be fined appropriately. To catch stray animals like dogs, the municipal corporation should hire a strong animal catching squad. Pet ownership, trade, and garbage management must all be regulated in order to control the stray animal population.

Animal health laws must be strictly enforced because stray animals have a direct and negative impact on humans and the environment. Large-scale animal birth control programmes should be implemented. Education about responsible pet ownership should be promoted to the general public. Finally, public participation will be greatly appreciated.

https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/solution-to-controlling-stray-dog-population-in-india/

https://www.strawindia.org/blogs/12/stray-dogs-are-a-social-responsibility-a-perspective.aspx

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Stray Dogs: Issue And Solution Essays Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Animals , People , Pets , Animal , Rights , Issue , Problem , Care

Published: 05/23/2023

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People and animals have always been divided in the history of mankind. This allowed the first calmly hunt second breeding farms, torture in the name of science. However, today, an uncomfortable question that animals have feelings and intelligence that characterize the personality increasingly stands in front of people. People have always suspected, that the similarities between them and animals is based not only science and religion. However, today, in the terms of globalization, overpopulation occurs not only within human population, but also animal one. Homeless dogs and their attacks on people is indeed a local, but important problem, which will be discussed in this paper. There are actually two diversified opinions regarding this issue – one claims that people should support homeless animals, another one tells that stay dogs should be sterilized. Animals have never had rights, so that there is no need to ascribe rights to them now. Many attempts of local activists have been trying to project a so-called environmental look on this issue, by concluding the fact that people should take care of animals and so on. Moreover, if the dog ‘offended’ a person – that’s a people’s fault. Dog does not bark on good people – is a popular thesis nowadays, so if one does not want to be bitten – one should not come close to the dog. It is a pretty bad solution, but still it could be considered as a good advice. However, the second point of all this talk about animal rights represents the reverse side of democracy. Hence, the next popular advice – is to feed the unfortunate dogs on the street, since they will die without human help. Animal rights activists managed to convince the city authorities that destroying stray animals is not only inhumane, but also futile. Allegedly, nature abhors the gaps, and those animals, which were not managed to be caught, will bear more and more puppies. In order to solve this issue and make it clear to local community, firstly it is needed to present it to people. It could be informal meeting at university campus or wide spreading the advertisements with statistical data concerning the animal attacks on people. The method, which is supposed to be proposed is both ‘on the human side’ and ‘on the animal side’. Sterilizing the dogs happens only through local authorities and this could not be denied, but it could be changed a little bit. The main positive aspect, which is wanted to be populated, is the attention of the population to the problem, an increasing number of people who really care. That’s the main aim of this project. Talking about the problem – is the first step to its solution. It is indeed possible to promote overall increasing number of shelters and volunteers that willing to walk the dogs, to collect food and care products for animals. However, a decisive step for the defenders of animal rights and for complete solution of this problem is to create rules at the legislative level, the introduction of fines for irresponsible behaviour towards the animals, as well as compulsory licensing of owners. Finally, there is one more obstacle to success within this issue. Animal attacks could be neglected in humanistic way only in the first world countries. Unfortunately, developing countries would not promote such a technique, due to the fact that society there has more important problems for the everyday life. Taking care of homeless animals is only a background issue there, so unfortunately this method would not make sense there.

"One At A Time - PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS". Novoiceunheard.org. Web. 21 Jan. 2017.

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Interviews & Insights on the Stray Animal Problem in Modern China

I. Introduction

    In China, the existence of stray animals has been a social problem for decades. Some — mostly Western — countries that have a rich history in animal welfare have made enormous effort to save the lives of stray animals, but in other regions, specifically in Asia, this problem simply grew more serious in a way that causes greater social problems concerning public health and safety.

    In this paper, I aim to discuss the causes and consequences of the stray animal problems along with the challenges faced by the animal rescue community. I discuss these issues in three interviews with experienced rescuers based in China, supplemented with extended research on topics mentioned in the interviews. 

II. Interview with Savannah, long term volunteer for four cat rescues in Beijing

    Savannah Lee is a full time teacher in an international high school in Beijing. She has been living in China for seven years and participating in stray cat rescuing for nearly four years. She is currently a member of many rescue groups, Cat Community, Beijing Dog Rescue, Kitten Care, and more that offer help in Beijing, Shanghai and a few other cities across China. The interview was conducted on November 12, 2020 via email.

    First I asked her to describe the current situation about stray animals in China. In her own words, the situation is “very bad” as many stray cats and dogs are unvaccinated and neither spayed or neutered, potentially creating more strays.

    Effective ways to control the stray population include education on animal care, especially on the importance of vaccination and sterilization. Education eliminates the stereotypes that sterilization hurts animals and creates instead an understanding that sterilization brings more benefits to an animal’s long-term health by dramatically reducing the risks of certain types of cancers [1] .  

    Also, the idea of Trap, Neuter, Release (or, TNR), which is a practice commonly used in the animal rescue communities in the United States and other countries [2] . It is a process where the animal is first trapped, brought to the hospital to be vaccinated and fixed, and released back to the place where you trapped them in. “This is a practice that should be introduced and used more in China.” Savannah said.

    Then I invited her to discuss with details on how animal rescue organizations are funded and how they work in China. She mentioned that usually, animal rescue organizations are funded and taken care of by people who are willing to help with their own money, or through charitable donations. Because of the challenges of being self-sponsored, the financial support is limited, and so is the help they are able to offer. When an animal is found, the rescuers will come together to help, first fostering the pet at their house and raising money on their own until they are ready to look for “forever homes”. 

    She then mentioned the problems of animal rescue work, and introduced three key factors that would help based on her experiences with animal rescue. First, there should be education on how people can join the community and help on animal rescue, and accurate reporting on the situation. People need to understand how to take care of animals, and how much time and money to be invested in animal rescue. 

    Communication is undoubtedly important as well. Due to the constraints of having WeChat groups as the main tool of communication, people get confused by the many groups with different messages going in and out for just one rescuer, especially during a critical time frame, for example during night time or work hours.

    Clarity also contributes to successful communication and the running of the organization. There are groups for animal rescue,  for pet related questions, or groups specifically focused on dogs or cats. It is important that people find the right group or community to join, and get passed on the information they need. 

    As a born and raised American living in China, Savannah experiences major differences between the two countries when handling animal rescue issues, from funding available to the organization to having an actual organization facility or access to what the rescuers need, like a 24 hour veterinary care. Still, education and money are the key. In the United States people are more involved and aware of the animal rescue community compared to Chinese. 

    One instance of how people might potentially make a change occurred in November 2020, when a company in Shanghai put puppies and kittens into a vending machine where people could pay and play a game, and get the animal as a prize. A video about this went viral where people condemned and protested the exploitation of a live animal in a game. Three days later, the machine got shut down. Together, people can make a difference; they just need a good reason. 

III. Interview with Muran, founder and content creator of Loving Home of Muran

    Uncle Muran is the founder of a rescue group called Loving Home of Muran in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province, and also a content creator with over 23k followers in Chinese Tik Tok and Little Red Book about his rescue stories. The interview was conducted on November 13, 2020 via direct message on Little Red Book, a social media platform in China.

    First I asked about his opinion on the major causes of the vast size of stray population in China, and he answered, “ there is a rising population of irresponsible pet owners that decide to have a pet out of fashion, or,  just for a spur of the moment, and when the moment is gone, they simply kick the animals out of the door.” He also mentions that there should be a strictly enforced regulation on pet ownership, which impose punishments on irresponsible owners to reduce such behaviors. 

    Being a content creator on animal rescue, Uncle Muran uses mainly two social media platforms, Chinese Tik Tok for video-sharing and Little Red Book for both videos and photos with short written posts. I asked if social media is effective as the main tool of communication and information sharing, he said yes because “it helps bring people into this community using my contents, mostly sad videos of strays when they are first taken in, or happy ones when they find homes.”

    At the end of the interview, I offered to make a small donation but Uncle Muran immediately refused. He claimed to welcome as many volunteers as possible, but does not encourage donations unless being made in person. In his words, “for donations, we welcome anyone who has visited our base, or has truly known us to donate, and we are very grateful for any donations. However, we do not recommend anyone who we have never met, or spoken before, to make donations because we hope you know that your money is being used in the right place, but with the Internet, you never know, and we do not want to get into trouble.”

    Uncle Muran also mentions that he has encountered some content creators who earn a profit by 卖惨, which roughly translates to sadfishing, a new term on social media that refers to the practice of getting attention using people’s sympathy, or making touching videos that do not speak the truth. He expressed a strong disgust to such behaviors. 

IV. Interview with the co-founder of Tianjin Stray Animal Rescue Team

    The interviewee was unwilling to give out her name nor any other information besides what is shown on her Weibo profile, and she answered my questions with very brief answers, sometimes in only a few words where I could sense that she was cautious when talking. The interview was conducted on November 10, 2020 via direct message on Weibo, a social media platform in China.

    First I asked about how the animal rescue group that she is involved in works, and she explained that her team is a small scale rescue group based in Tianjin and that all her teammates are her friends and family. She specifically stressed that “we are not a shelter or any organization, but just a gathering of friends and family who want to help animals.”

    Their main source of information is through Weibo. One of the major advantages of having Weibo as the main platform is that all information posted is open to the public whereas in WeChat, people need to be added directly into a message group before accessing any information. Their post content is only seeking adoption for animals they have rescued. The interviewee said, so far, Weibo has been working great for her team.

    Similar to Uncle Muran, the team refuses to accept any donations as well. She said “we do not need any. Even if we do, we are more likely to raise money among the people we know, like friends and family instead of asking for donations from strangers.” She knows there are frauds using animal rescue as a hook to make money, and she does not want to give anyone a chance to make profit in this field. “People can always help by volunteering or fostering, which she believes is a better way to contribute in this community.” Clearly for her team, donations are not the best way to help them.

V.Follow-up interview with Savannah Lee in terms of the act of donating

    After noticing the different reactions towards donations among three rescuers, I arranged a follow-up interview with Savannah to specifically discuss the act of donating. She has a rather different view and stated that donations are important in keeping an organization alive. In her words, “I do not agree with the statement that rescuers should not ask for money. If they are trusted rescuers then they should. Rescuing animals can get expensive, especially if they get sick. I once spent over 50,000 RMB out of my own pocket on the cats I have rescued and it was a lot of money for me as an ordinary person.” 

    However, there is only one action that Savannah said some rescuers do and that she was not happy about, which is using the donations for personal interests instead of on the animals that need help. She mentioned that she often heard about rescue groups raising money for a good cause, and then use the funds to go out and eat, or buy things for themselves.  

    It is interesting to see that different rescue groups handle things differently, especially on the matter of donating behaviors, but the ground rule is that all donations should be used only on the needs of animals.

VI. Conclusion with extended research

a. Lack of legislation on animal protection

    China, among many other Asian countries, do not have any legislation and law enforcement for animal protection . Though various attempts have been made by both the people and government officials to raise the concerns of establishing laws for animal protection and against animal abuse, nothing substantial was achieved [3] . Without any active legislation against animal abuse, such acts rarely break any laws, leaving rescue organizations overly dependent on volunteer work and unreliable donation funding.

b. Lack of support for animal rescue organizations

    Most rescue groups and animal shelters that are currently operating across China are self organized without any governmental sponsorship. Few organizations have established home bases and full time workers while most are put together by volunteers and operate out of their own homes, usually apartment complexes.. Three major burdens on Chinese rescue groups development are the lack of stable financial support, the lack of volunteers, and a large demand for adoption [4] .

    Many rescue groups are founded, supported, and operated by the same group of people with similar interest in animal rescue. It is difficult for them to get outside support due to lack of communication, publicity, and interest from the general public. Another challenge for people working for rescue groups is where to store animals. Without a base, they are forced to bring stray animals back home, or to places that they own, and keep them until they are adopted, causing stress and distraction for their daily lives, especially if their family or partners are not entirely supportive.

c. Lack of education on sterilization

    The lack of reproduction control among animals, especially stray animals, escalates the stray population dramatically. Sterilization is an effective method to control stray population, and on the other hand it is also recommended by vets to neuter or spay pets to avoid potential genital diseases or cancers as they grow older. However, it is not a common practice in China compared to Western countries . Many people believe it is a deprivation of the animal’s nature of reproduction, and it is not morally acceptable. Therefore, education on sterilization and its benefits is key to reducing the stray population on a fundamental level.

d. Lack of consistency in existing regulations    

    Cats and other small animals require no registration and face no ownership constraint. Yet paradoxically, legal dog breed and size are heavily regulated in China. This is similar to the breed specific legislation (BSL) in the United States, which regulates or bans certain breeds that are believed to be aggressive, but the regulation in China is stricter. It both bans many breeds and restricts the size and number of dogs allowed in a household.  

    In Beijing, one household is limited to one dog, and the maximum height of the dog is 35 centimeters. In the original report it uses the words “ 小型玩赏犬” or small-sized toy dog [5]  in English. Dogs need to be registered and inspected annually, so some breeds or larger sized dogs cannot be registered. The cost of registration fee varies in different cities. Some cities like Chengdu offers free registration, but in Beijing, the cost is 1,000 RMB in the first year, and 500 RMB for annual renewal [6] .

    By making certain breeds and sizes illegal, the regulations increase the risk of an animals’ subsequent capture and euthanization by the animal control department. The heavy fines imposed by restrictions on unregistered dogs result in more abandonment simply because some dogs legally cannot be registered even in capable households. This obtuse regulation leads to a Chinese tendency to purchase specific, legal permit-friendly dogs directly from breeders or pet stores. 

    With the lack of animal protection law combined with the heavy restrictions on dog ownership, the concept of responsible pet ownership is only a moral constraint, instead of a mandate that every pet owner should obey. People need to be educated on responsible ownership so that with or without law enforcement, they would not abandon animals.     

e. Remarks  

    Being a dog owner living in Beijing, I sincerely believe China must improve the acceptance and protection of pets and pet owners. Existing pet regulation uses public safety to wrongfully justify heavily regulating the types of dogs that are allowed to live. However, it is the people who need to be regulated. They should be educated on responsible ownership and animal care, reprimanded for animal abandonment, and encouraged to participate in animal rescue.

    With national-level legal protections and sufficient knowledge on animal welfare, there will be no animals roaming the streets. Instead, they will be loved in a home where they belong.

The shelter hopes the public will aid its mission to find forever homes for the cats, “who deserve to know what a healthy, loving home is like.”

 Courtesy of the PSPCA

There’s an increase in stray animals, here’s why and what shelters are doing about it

The increase of stray animals has been a growing concern across the United States.

According to the Humane Society of the United States there are about seventy million strays nationwide. Of those, an estimated five million to seven million and animals wind up in one of the nation’s 3,500 shelters.

Some shelters have resulted to waving adoption fees due to the increase of stray animals.

Logan Hoskinson, Assistant Manager for the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society said, the increase in stray animals comes from an increase of at home breeding, people no longer wanting the responsibility of caring for an animal and not wanting to deal with the problems or veterinary expenses that taking care of a life may bring.

“I’ve been working at this shelter for eight years just about and I’ve never seen it so full in the dog areas. Cats are a constant problem,” Hoskinson said. “Fills up every year, at least for a time, if not throughout the whole year. But the dogs, I’d say, have definitely seen an uptick that I’ve never experienced working at the shelter.”

He also said because of the increase in stray animals, shelters are overwelmed, animals are packed closely together, and aren’t able to get the best treatment because of the conditions.

Stray animals are usually exposed to all kinds of illnesses and can become emotional or physically traumatized.

Hoskinson said in order to resolve this issue lawmakers could place more restrictions on how people are allowed to breed animals and, with more funding, shelters can hire more staff and get bigger facilities to care for animals, which would avoid any cross-contamination or a spread of illness.

He also encouraged people to adopt an animal in need of a home and support their local shelter to make a difference.

“We at the shelter always have to say, we can’t recommend you pick up the animal and take it in your cell but that’s just in a liability sense. Personally, I always stop and help whatever animal I can. Maybe it just comes with the job,” Hoskinson said. “But shelters are always going to want to help, even when they’re overwhelmed… And it doesn’t hurt to just try. Even if the shelters can’t take them, we always want to help.”

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The global stray dog population crisis.

The scope of the stray dog problem in many parts of the world is unimaginable by American standards. Street and village dogs have always been part of the developing world’s landscape, but exploding populations, increasing attacks on citizens,1 and spiraling rabies epidemics have transformed this issue from a third world problem to a global public health priority.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are more than 200 million stray dogs worldwide and that every year, 55,000 people die from rabies, while another 15 million receive post exposure treatment to avert the deadly disease. 95% of these cases occur in Asia and Africa, and 99% of the fatalities are caused by dogs.2

In Bali alone, the number of stray dogs is estimated at 500,000 and a rabies epidemic underway since 2008 has already killed 78 people. Despite culling somewhere between 120,000 and 200,000 dogs, and vaccinating an estimated 262,000 dogs, the epidemic rages on. In the face of the continuing epidemic and shortages of human anti-rabies vaccines, the government has banned dogs from the streets altogether -- perhaps the first at-large law imposed in this part of the world.3 4

The stray dog-driven rabies crisis in Bali is hardly unique: India culls as many as 100,000 strays at a time,5 while attacks by marauding packs of dogs in Baghdad have led to a reinstitution of the same eradication program that was operated under Saddam Hussein. Its goal: the culling of over one million stray dogs.6 7 8

In Bangkok9 and many other Asian and African locales,10 11 living with strays and rabies is just an accepted fact of life. An estimated 200 dogs per square kilometer occupy Bangkok, fouling sidewalks and streets, causing traffic accidents and serving as vectors for rabies and other diseases.12 A nip on the ankle by a stray dog in any of these developing countries quickly jolts Western tourists into the life and death reality of the situation.13

Thankfully the stray dog overpopulation crisis has earned the attention of Western humanitarians, animal welfare organizations and businesses, and they’re rallying to the cause. The World Health Organization is working aggressively, often partnering with Non Government Organizations (NGO’s), to assure that the production and distribution of rabies vaccines and post-exposure treatment keeps up with demand.

One of the most effective NGO’s working on the stray dog issue in the developing world is a group of veterinarians and volunteers called Veterinarians Without Borders.14 They can be found in many of the poorest countries of the world helping impoverished communities develop safe and healthy food supplies and eliminating some of the most dangerous diseases. Neutering and vaccinating stray dogs against rabies is an important part of their work today.

At the same time, animal shelters and dog rescue groups are springing up throughout Asia, Eurasia, the Middle East, parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Some jurisdictions, notably Shanghai and Singapore15 have built pounds to hold strays, while in other locales, private citizens have formed humane societies and loose-knit groups of volunteers to care for rescued dogs.

These are all good signs. But when Western activists contemplate solutions for the stray dog crisis in the developing world, they need to keep in mind the differences between third world problems and the ones we’ve experienced here. Pet ownership is less common in developing countries; third world strays are seldom dogs that simply wandered off an owner’s property. Instead, they are often semi-feral dogs living at the outskirts of human communities, eking out an existence by feeding on human garbage.

So vast are the differences between the developing world and the US today, one must reach back to images of American cities in the 1800’s for comparison: an age when horses were still the primary mode of transportation, when domestic animals of all species often ran free, and garbage collection hadn’t yet begun.

The eradication measures employed by third world countries -- poisoning and shooting strays -- spark sensational headlines and searing criticism in the West, but where people are still struggling to provide food and shelter for their families; where canine rabies is an epidemic, and where there are shortages of rabies vaccine and post exposure treatment, animal control is still a matter of human survival. 16

Bringing the Problem Home

Starting with many of the same eradication measures currently being employed in third world countries, it took the US nearly a century and a half to get its surplus dog problem under control; indeed, it has only been during the last 10 years that the demand for dogs has become equal to or greater than the supply in many parts of the country. In fact, what the US has today is a dog distribution problem, not a dog overpopulation problem -- a situation that has led to a practice labeled humane relocation.17

Other groups import maimed dogs for adoption into the US from great distances, even foreign countries where street dogs are plentiful.19

A recent shipment of 222 dogs from Puerto Rico illustrates how multi-faceted, ill-conceived and widespread the practice of importing street dogs into mainland USA has become.20 Although dogs are regularly shipped into the Northeastern states from Puerto Rico, this particular shipment, arranged by the Puerto Rico Animal Welfare Society, was motivated by the opportunity to win a $100,000 grant. The ASPCA offered the prize to the organization with the largest adoption participation in an event called Second Chance for Love adopt-a-thon. The dogs involved in this venture were headed to one of the many participating pet supply stores that use rescue dogs as a loss leader to attract shoppers. After being airlifted to Florida for a layover, though, more than 100 of the dogs broke with parvovirus and distemper, 107 of them eventually dying. As it turned out, many of the dogs in the shipment were infested with hook worms, round worms and coccidia, and although the dogs were supposed to be 4 months old and healthy to participate in the contest, some were only 4 weeks old and shockingly, had already been altered. None of these dogs ever made it out of Florida. Instead, they remained there and received veterinary treatments valued at $185,000 and were adopted out through local shelters.

Canine strain rabies in indigenous US dogs was officially pronounced eradicated in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control, but since then a number of rabid dogs have been imported, nearly all rescue dogs from countries with ongoing rabies epidemics. These dogs have come from a variety of locales including Puerto Rico, Thailand, India, and others described in official CDC publications.21

The rescue programs engaged in this practice have very appealing names that sound like they were created by advertising professionals, Operation Baghdad Pups for example. Perhaps the positive image confuses the issue and blunts the outrage these totally irresponsible practice should evoke. Indeed, this group has continued shipping dogs to the United States and following the shipment after issuing a press releases saying that they hope the rabid puppy doesn’t tarnish its image22

Pretending that rescuing dogs from developing countries with ongoing rabies epidemics is helping solve problems is not only short-sighted, it’s dangerous. At best it represents a shallow form of sentimentality, not true kindness. At worst, importing street dogs is a cynical form of old fashioned greed on the part of the organizations and businesses that are trading in them. Judging by their IRS 990 forms, the shelters importing these dogs are making a handsome profit on them, retaining their traditional image as shelters and marketing their product as unregulated pet stores.

To actually improve animal welfare , NAIA recommends that rescuers put their resources into developing low cost spay-neuter and vaccination programs at the source of the problems instead of rescuing and sending street dogs to the US. If advertisements on the websites of Puerto Rican rescue groups aren’t stretching the truth, they’re spending as much as $1,800 to rehabilitate one street dog, more money than the average Puerto Rican household makes in one month.23 There’s something wrong with this picture.

Additionally, one of the reasons that the import problem is mushrooming in the US is because our federal laws governing the import of dogs are out of date. NAIA continues to urge our lawmakers and administrators to strengthen these laws immediately.24 Otherwise a preventable tragedy will occur. The incubation period for rabies is variable and can be quite lengthy, and the laws and quarantine requirements are not sufficient to prevent exposure. With large numbers of imported dogs from rabies endemic areas entering the US pet trade, weak federal import laws, and state and local laws that specifically exempt the traffickers from regulation because they are supposed to be operating as humane shelters, the public Is vulnerable to this irresponsible activity.

Finally, it is sad that stray dogs ever have to be killed, but to attempt to apply American no-kill philosophy to parts of the world where dogs are suffering as well as threatening human life is unrealistic and harmful. We recommend to the reader, the words of Mahatma Ghandi on the subject:

“A roving dog without an owner is a danger to society and a swarm of them is a menace to its very existence... If we want to keep dogs in towns or villages in a decent manner no dog should be suffered to wander. There should be no stray dogs even as we have no stray cattle... But can we take individual charge of these roving dogs? Can we have a pinjrapole for them? If both these things are impossible then there seems to me no alternative except to kill them... it is an insult to the starving dog to throw a crumb at him. Roving dogs do not indicate compassion and civilization in society; they betray instead the ignorance and lethargy of its members... that means we should keep them and treat them with respect as we do our companions and not allow them to roam about.” -- quoted from www.Karmayog.com

Table 1: A short list of foreign organizations that export rescue dogs and US Shelters and Rescues

[1] http://blogs.forbes.com/michaelnoer/2011/01/25/reporter-dodges-packs-of-feral-dogs-while-testing-computer-equipment/

[2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/index.html

[3] http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/02/world/main6736299.shtml

[4] http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/stray-dogs-to-become-pariahs-in-rabies-war/391101

[5] http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0306killingdogs06-on.html?&wired

[6] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/10/AR2010071002235.html

[7] http://feraljundi.com/2010/06/12/iraq-baghdad-to-cull-a-million-stray-dogs/

[8] http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/12/ml_iraq_stray_dogs

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stray_dogs_in_Bangkok

[10] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080306-AP-kashmir-kil.html

[11] http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/12/angola.rabies/index.html

[12] http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/273918

[13] http://stophavingaboringlife.com/dog-bite-in-bangkok-and-rabies-vaccines/

[14] http://www.vetswithoutbordersus.org/

[15] http://jaagruti.org/2010/08/30/rabies-and-street-dog-population-control-in-india-in-2010-problems-and-solutions/

[16] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080306-AP-kashmir-kil.html

[17] http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/archives/humane_insane.htm

[18] http://www.animalleague.org/support/support-rescue-medical-programs/help-me-heal/animals/reese.html?autologin=true

[19] http://thebark.com/print/2909?page=show

[20] http://www.prdailysun.com/?page=news.article&id=1286246678 (Ed. note: the Puerto Rico Daily Sun appears to be defunct. Click below for a link to a saved copy of the article in PDF form) Life-lift for dogs is fatal, 100+ die

[21] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5739a3.htm

[22] http://www.petfinder.com/pet-news/us-rabies-warning-linked-to-baghdad-pups.html

[23] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_income

[24] http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/proposedrulemaking-final4.pdf

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Here & Now Compass

No 'easy answer' to growing number of stray dogs in the u.s., advocate says.

Samantha Raphelson

Dogs rescued from floodwater wait to be transferred to a shelter after torrential rains pounded Southeast Texas following Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey on Sept. 3, 2017 in Orange, Texas. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

Dogs rescued from floodwater wait to be transferred to a shelter after torrential rains pounded Southeast Texas following Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey on Sept. 3, 2017 in Orange, Texas.

Author Peter Zheutlin never wanted a dog, let alone a rescue. He had always believed, as a lot of people do, that rescue dogs are damaged goods.

Now Zheutlin can't imagine life without a dog, and he's become so driven by the issue of stray dogs that he's written two books about it. He tells Here & Now's Lisa Mullins the number of stray dogs has "cascaded out of control" in some parts of the U.S.

"People are often very often surprised when I tell them that the picture ... of dogs running on highways and so forth, this is not just a third world problem — that exists here in the United States," says Zheutlin, author of the new book, Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things.

With Rescue Dogs In Demand, More Shelters Look Far Afield For Fido

There are more than 200 million stray dogs worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates about 3.3 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters every year.

While Zheutlin makes the case for adopting dogs that are abandoned, he also acknowledges there is no easy answer to the problem. He says the supply of stray dogs greatly outweighs the demand.

In Houston, Texas, alone, there are more than 1 million stray dogs, according to the city's pet shelter, BARC . After Hurricane Harvey hit this summer, thousands of dogs were rescued from floodwaters.

"These shelters, they're dealing with an incredibly difficult problem where they may have a shelter that can hold 100 dogs, and every week a hundred more strays are coming in," Zheutlin says. "And where do they go?"

The no-kill movement has contributed to the population growth, as the number of dogs and cats that are euthanized has decreased from 20 million to 3 million each year. As NPR previously reported, there are nearly 14,000 shelters and pet rescue groups in the U.S. that acquire almost 8 million animals each year.

Stray dogs also present safety issues when they roam in packs, causing traffic accidents, attacking residents and spreading disease. WHO estimates nearly 55,000 people die from rabies every year.

No-Kill Shelters Save Millions Of Unwanted Pets — But Not All Of Them

Spay and neuter laws that vary by state have also driven the increase of abandoned dogs, especially in more rural, southern states.

"The South still has a lot of work to do with spay-neuter laws, and getting people to feel that pets are more companions and parts of their family than yard dogs or that kind of thing," Laurie McCannon, director of Northeast Animal Shelter in Massachusetts, told NPR in 2015.

Several city and local governments have adopted mandatory spay-neuter ordinances, but Zheutlin points out that the stray animal issue is low on the priority list for some cash-strapped cities.

"This problem has escalated to the point where it would take decades of a concentrated spay-neuter program in a city like Houston to begin to reduce the numbers," he says. "The shelters are not often high priorities for governments either when they've got competing demands from the school department, the police department, the fire department, parks, sanitation. Who speaks for the dogs?"

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Success in placing shelter dogs takes more than temperament tests.

According the ASPCA, approximately 1.6 million dogs are adopted from U.S. shelters each year, but 34 percent of dogs obtained as pets still come from breeders.

Many adopted dogs come from difficult circumstances, Zheutlin says, which means they could suffer from separation anxiety, barking and a lack of socialization skills. Critics of the no-kill movement say some dogs are just not fit for adoption.

"At some point, you begin to adopt out animals that have serious health issues or serious temperament issues that you should not," Patti Strand, director of the National Animal Interest Alliance, an organization that represents dog breeders, told NPR in 2014.

While rescue dogs can present challenges, rehabilitation programs have led to an increase in the percentage of animals adopted, according to the ASPCA. Zheutlin suggests obtaining references before working with a rescue organization.

"Those organizations work hard to make sure these dogs are socialized and ready to be placed in a home," he says. "In the vast vast majority of cases they are so ready to be loved, and to love back dogs, I think, draw us out of our own heads and [can] help us to live more in the moment."

• rescued animals

###subline###

Stray animal care, there are countless stray dogs and cats worldwide. these homeless pets live a difficult life on the streets often suffering hunger, thirst and cruelty. four paws employs a community-led approach to help strays and reduce their numbers in a humane and sustainable way, with the ultimate aim that no dog and cat has to suffer on the streets anymore. four paws' community-led approach includes the following components: community engagement; monitoring, evaluation & impact; catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (cnvr); responsible pet ownership; shelter adoption programme; and animal assisted interventions.  .

The Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return Approach

The only humane and sustainable solution to protect millions of stray dogs and cats worldwide.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact

An essential component in the design of effective stray animal programmes.

Community Engagement

Empowering local communities to create a better future for dogs and cats.

Responsible Pet Ownership Programme

Why is it so important for stray animal care.

Shelter Adoption Programme

Designed to support a dog’s journey from the shelter to a loving home.

Animal Assisted Interventions

From stray to superhero: stray dogs with a mission to change attitudes, our work in eastern europe, four paws is active in the stray animal care field for over two decades, with our first project to improve the lives of strays in 1999 in romania. in eastern europe, four paws aims to deliver strategic, sustainable and impactful projects alongside the local communities..

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Widespread of Stray Animals: Design a Technological Solution to Help Build a Rescue System for Stray Animals

• Conference paper
• First Online: 22 October 2022
• Cite this conference paper

• Lianfan Wu 13 ,
• Minghui Shao 14 ,
• Shuqi Wei 14 ,
• Rouxuan Lu 15 &
• Bingdie Huang 14  

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13520))

Included in the following conference series:

• International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

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The issue of stray animals in cities has received continuous attention from government agencies and animal organisation around the world. However, the lack of relevant laws and regulations, as well as the lack of public service resources (e.g. funding, space and labour), poses a considerable challenge to the survival and rescue of stray animals. To address this challenge, this study attempts to optimize the current social rescue system for stray animals through a technological design solution. This study investigates and develops a rescue system of stray animal through Human-Centred Design. This research has mainly discussed around the current situation of stray animals, their causes, hazards and rescue issues. The results of this research indicate that (1) the main causes of having stray animals in cities are lost, abandoned and disorderly breeding, as well as lack of regulations. Additionally, stray animals live in poor conditions with health many problems; (2) stray animals pose a serious threat to the development of cities. There is an urgent need to optimise the stray animal rescue system at the levels of individuals, shelters and social system; (3) a technological public welfare platform would be a reliable solution to effectively improve the situation of stray animals. As a result of the research, this study designed a stray animal public welfare platform APP, which has applied big data, AI and other relevant intelligent technologies. Additionally, it solves the pain points of current public welfare rescue platforms and optimises the existing stray animal rescue process and experience, as well as make an important reference for developing the construction of a technological stray animal rescue system.

• Stray animals
• Rescue system
• Human-centred Design
• Mobile application Design
• Grounded Theory

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This work was made possible with the support of the Wenzhou Business College which provided financial support for the subject study (XSKY20210025).

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Wu, L., Shao, M., Wei, S., Lu, R., Huang, B. (2022). Widespread of Stray Animals: Design a Technological Solution to Help Build a Rescue System for Stray Animals. In: Rauterberg, M., Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Siau, K., Krömker, H., Wei, J., Salvendy, G. (eds) HCI International 2022 – Late Breaking Papers: HCI for Today's Community and Economy. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13520. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18158-0_28

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A ray of hope for millions of stray cats and dogs at risk of cruelty in China

17 august 2018.

Millions of stray cats and dogs are at risk of cruelty on China’s streets, but by working together, we can end their suffering.

Millions of stray dogs and cats live on China's streets. Some are abandoned companion animals, left to fend for themselves after being dumped by their owners, but the majority were born on the streets, the result of un-checked breeding.

These animals face a bleak future – falling prey to disease and hunger, at risk of being brutally killed in organised culls or, worse still, destined for a horrific death at the hands of the meat industry.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Each of these animals deserves so much better – and there is hope for them.

A huge problem which can be fixed

Since 2007, Animals Asia has worked with the Chinese government and local groups in 67 cities across China.

The charity gives advice and practical guidance to the cities’ dog ownership management authorities, as well as funding improvements to shelters. 

As a direct result of this groundbreaking work, many provinces have ditched cruel culls and set up humane population control such as public education for responsible cat and dog owners and Trap, Neuter, Return programmes  for stray cats to prevent over-breeding.

The shelters for their part have been able to drastically improve the number of dogs they can take in, the level of care they can provide and, most importantly, the number of animals for whom they can find forever homes.

Most stray animal shelters in China struggle to survive. Nearly every penny is spent on daily food and medical care for the animals. Little is left to improve facilities, leaving many rescued strays in near squalid conditions.

These conditions contribute to poor health and also detract from an animal’s chances of being rehomed – the ultimate goal of all reputable shelters. 

But once shelters have the facilities and the expertise, the animals can benefit.

Take Simba for example. She was rescued as a tiny kitten when a mother and son noticed a cloud of flies above a field of wild grass. They looked closer and were shocked to find a one-month old kitten with wounds infested with maggots.

They immediately called Heifei Canine Union for help who took Simba to the vet and raised funds for her healthcare online.

From such awful beginnings, Simba has blossomed into a gorgeous adult cat. Today she lives happily with her guardian and new cat-sibling in their forever home in Anhui province.

Simba is just one of thousands of animals who has benefited.

In the last four years, Animals Asia’s work with strays has improved the lives of nearly 27,000 dogs and cats.

Animals Asia Cat and Dog Welfare Director Irene Feng said:

“The scale of the suffering in China is immense. There are so many cats and dogs at risk of cruelty on the streets that the numbers can seem insurmountable. But we’re proving the issue can be overcome. 

“By harnessing the country’s army of animal lovers, giving them the skills and the tools, and working with government on the ‘big picture’ changes, we can help an exceptional number of stray cats and dogs. Ultimately, we’re aiming for a future without strays and we’re working holistically on all the issues and with all the stakeholders to realise that goal.”  

A gift from you today, large or small, could help lost souls like Simba get the help and care they desperately need.

Please, will you send a gift to Asia’s most desperate animals today?

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Essay: Stray dogs and the curse of anthroparchal logic

With the idea of free-roaming animals suddenly being seen as a mark of an uncivilised society, violence directed at dogs and those who feed them has been spiralling in urban india.

“To hell with animal welfare laws…society has the right to kill ferocious dogs roaming on the streets and the people who feed them,” reads a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) by one Joginder Singh.

Earlier this week, Singh, who has been spearheading an anti-stray dog campaign, reiterated the call to kill stray dogs and dog-feeders in a newly developed bustling residential area of Noida Extension. The video of his fiery speech is being circulated widely.

This is the same area where on February 3, a 10-year-old had tossed a pup from a considerable height, leading to its death. This happened as his elders had spilled out on the streets to unleash their fury on a bunch of feeders who care for community dogs. In the commotion that followed, a woman feeder was molested and animal welfare activists had to move heaven and earth to get a case of sexual harassment registered at the nearby Bisrakh police station.

Such dog haters cut across caste, class, religion and region. The ghastly shooting down of 20 stray dogs last week by a man in Telangana is a case in point. And before this could sunk in, a man made news for wanting a licenced gun to protect himself from stray dogs.

Gone are the days when heated conversations over dog-feeding began and ended with – “If you love these dogs so much, why don’t you take them home?” In this age of anger, wooden sticks and steel rods are pulled out from under car seats to badger dogs, or they are deliberately hit or run over. Dog-feeders, mostly women, who dig deep into their pockets to feed these strays, get cursed, slapped and beaten. Often, they are meted out the treatment reserved for stray dogs.

The anti-stray dog sentiment is at an all-time high and leading animal welfare activists say the anti-dog lobby is working overtime to create a fuss over community dogs – such as the call by Singh to kill dogs and feeders – for a reason. The Supreme Court has set February 28 to hear a bunch of petitions relating to stray dogs in Kerala and other parts of the country. This all-important Supreme Court verdict will seal the fate of stray dogs. In the worst case scenario, they will be culled or sent to pounds.

While on paper, sending the strays to a pound may sound like a compassionate option, but nobody quite understands the politics of dog pounds leave alone the pressure on the state exchequer to allocate land and funds to run such spaces. Imagine passing by an unusually large number of dogs and cats in an overcrowded space caught in the stench of faeces, urine and vomit. A place where dogs and cats are caged for life, the dogs are never walked, and they fight for crumbs.

Life at a Shelter

Katja M Guenther, the author of The Lives and Deaths of Shelter Animals , fills in the gaps here. She spent three years volunteering with “nonhuman animals” at a high-intake public animal shelter in the Los Angeles metropolitan area which she refers to as PAW. Her life changed when she met a muscular pit bull named Monster, a day before he was to be put down. He regarded her dispassionately from his cell, aware that his fate had been sealed.

With Monster becoming part of a much larger statistic – three million companion animals are put to sleep in animal shelters in the US each year – Guenther decided to study the multiple processes that go into such killings. As she spent more time at the shelter, she noted that dogs and cats coming from “a community of lower-income people of colour” were at a higher risk of ending up at a shelter, and being seen as “market surplus” and killed.

She noted that certain breeds such as the pit bull, which are favoured by lower-income groups, were looked upon with disdain and the “breed discrimination… is itself grounded in racism and classism”. In contrast, companion animals who lived in affluent, predominantly white communities were likely to be sent to animal shelters that provide veterinary care and are committed to reunification or adoption. Had Monster ended up in one such shelter, his chances of survival would have been 95 percent.

Guenther points out that the human urge “to dominate and control human and nonhuman animals” extends to shelters which have a licence to kill: “Monster died because of who he was, who the humans he was attached to were, and how our society naturalizes and accepts the killing of animals.”

Violence Against Dog-loving Women

Woman dog-feeders in India have had a rough run. A woman was slapped by a defence personnel as she was feeding dogs, another had to run for her life as she was attacked with an iron rod, and an unlucky third slipped and fell and had to have a hip replacement surgery.

Guenther’s observations at PAW, which is populated with women as staff or volunteers, helps us understand the situation of women dog-lovers in India, especially those not residing in affluent pockets. The author ponders over feminist animal studies which emphasise the importance of seeing the connections between the oppression of women and animals: “Violence against animals normalises violence against humans, especially women who have been constructed as animal-like in the sense that they are voiceless and victimisable. Like animals, women have endured a long history of being silenced, devalued, and subjected to violence. Women’s bodies have been commodified and butchered like animals’, leaving both women and animals to occupy spaces as objects rather than subjects.”

The author addresses the issue of unmarried or childless women who are made fun of for seeing these animals as “substitute children”. She defends these women and says that they prefer “voluntary relationships with animals because they find these relationships more satisfying than those with humans”.

She asserts that the struggles of animals and women “is the outcome of everyday and sustained collisions of capitalism, anthroparchy, white supremacy, and patriarchy”.

History of Abuse

At PAW, when a dog is declared dead, his body is placed in an oil drum until the truck from the rendering plant comes to retrieve it. Sometimes the oil drums are left open and volunteers can see the dead animals for days.

In the US, until the end of the 1800s, close to 100 percent of animals picked up by animal control agencies were killed, often using brutal means, such as clubbing or mass drowning. In mid-19-century New York City, dogcatchers were paid by the dog and placed up to several hundred stray dogs each day in large cages to drown them in the East River. Animal control was about taking animal life. The fear of zoonotic contamination, especially of rabies, was a powerful motivator to capture and destroy unclaimed companion animals, writes Guenther.

Later, a combination of moral and religious arguments was used to promote kindness toward animals. Animal shelters began sterilising and vaccinating animals and around 2006 started implanting microchips, which can help reunite lost animals.

Zero Tolerance for Stray Dogs

In India, the idea of free-roaming animals is suddenly being seen as a mark of an uncivilised society, an indicator of economic underdevelopment and a threat to public safety.

However, among these free-roaming animals only stray dogs are the soft targets. In the bustling Noida area where a child killed a pup, and where the call to kill dogs and dog-feeders was reiterated, Singh didn’t notice the famished donkeys and horses – their hind limbs tied together to prevent their escape – fending for themselves. There are also dozens of cows and buffaloes scavenging in garbage dumps. Isn’t this an indicator of economic underdevelopment too?

As Guenther points out this is a classic case of “anthroparchal logic” – asserting human dominance over animals. While in the shelter where the author volunteered, unweaned puppies and kittens were euthanised within hours of their arrival, in India, animal-haters go a step further: mutilate puppies, throw acid on cats, tie crackers on dogs or just run them over for fun.

While it is easy for animal-haters to wish the dogs out of sight, Guenther envisions a world where shelters are unnecessary. This requires a change of hearts and minds, and a world which is a secure place not just for dogs, but for humans too. And, this would be the real indicator of an economically developed and civilised country – not one that kills its community dogs and the kind people who care for them.

Lamat R Hasan is an independent journalist. She lives in New Delhi.

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How can we help homeless animals?

Published On - November 19, 2019

Every year, millions of animals end up in shelters all across the globe. These animals are either rescued from the streets or dropped off at the shelter. Though a lot of these shelters provide outstanding care and attention, there are still limitations to what they can do.

As an individual, you can contribute to these efforts in a lot of different ways. Running a shelter involves a ton of work and they will need all the help they can get. Offering even a small donation or volunteering a short amount of your time can make a huge difference.

Why we should help animals?

How can we help save animals, what can i do for stray dogs, what can i do for stray cats, what can i do for other stray animals right now, how you can help animals right now.

Animals, whether we are aware or not, play a huge role in our lives and in the environment. Therefore, it’s in our best interest to help them however we can.

Altruism aside, there are quite a few key reasons we should care for them. One reason is to prevent the spread of disease.

Diseases, such as rabies, pose a huge threat to humans. The disease is fatal to humans, as well as to the animals who carry it. Infected animals become aggressive and bite without provocation.

Rescuing animals helps prevent the spread of rabies by reducing the population of potential carriers in the wild. This reduces the chance of infected animals harming other people and animals in the community.

The best and most effective way to help homeless animals is to raise awareness in the community.

Talking to people in the community can bring about the changes that will dramatically improve the welfare of these animals.

Spay and neuter your own pets, if you have them, and tell your friends to spay and neuter their pets. Spaying and neutering help control the population of strays in the community.

Advocate for adopting pets instead of shopping. There are a lot of pets in shelters today that are eager to find their forever homes. Adopting helps improve their lives and allows shelters to accommodate more pets that need their help. Some shelters even give you a starter kit of blankets, toys, and other things you may need to care for your new pet.

You can also consider donating your time and skills to your local centers. Volunteering to help out in the shelter for a few hours a week will surely be appreciated by the staff. If you have other skills such as carpentry, accounting, or graphic design, you can offer your services to the shelter. You can help build things for the animals, balance the shelter’s books, or design advertisements and print ads for the shelter.

If you see a stray dog in your area, you can help them, but you should do so with caution.

Never approach stray dogs, especially if they look scared. You may have the best intentions, but they don’t know that and could bite if you get too close. Instead, call your local animal control or animal rescue center for assistance.

Stray dogs are easily spooked and can become aggressive when cornered. It is best to let the experts handle the situation for the safety of the dog and everyone involved. Once in custody, the dogs will be tested for various diseases and their overall health is checked.

Just like dogs, stray and feral cats can be very aggressive when approached.

For you and the cat’s safety, it is best to call for professionals to deal with the situation. Until proper testing is done, one can’t be sure if the animal is free from diseases like rabies which pose a serious threat to humans.

Once in custody, you can help the cat by visiting them often once. Donating some supplies such as blankets and a litter box would be a great way to help as well.

Once fully recovered and tested for any diseases, fostering cats until they find a forever home is a possibility. Who knows, you might find a furry friend that you’d like to adopt yourself!

Become a Sponsor

Caring for so many animals is resource-intensive. This can easily put strain on a shelter’s very limited budget. You can help by directly donating funds to the shelter as a sponsor. Another way is to organize fundraiser events like fun runs or walk-a-thons for your cause. Getting the whole community involved not only helps in reaching the monetary goal but also helps to create awareness for animals in need that leads to helping more animals in the future.

Volunteering in rescue centers is a proactive way to make a huge impact on the animals. Caring for animals is a challenging task and any help would be very much welcome. Talk to these shelters and see if they are accepting volunteers. Even just a couple of hours every week can provide a shelter with the assistance they need.

Donate to Help Homeless Pets

Donating funds and supplies to animal shelters is also one of the best things you can do for animals in the shelter. Old blankets, toys, and other supplies can greatly help the shelters to save what limited resources they have. Ask your family and friends to participate in a donation drive for the benefit of your local shelter.

Foster homeless animals

Fostering is an effective way to help homeless pets in shelters. By fostering, you help rehabilitate pets and teach them how to live with humans. Elderly and special needs pets need more intensive care due to their condition. The shelters may not be able to provide the care they need in-house and fostering is a great way to accommodate those special needs. This also helps the shelter because they can channel their limited resources to the animals that need the most care.

Helping animals in need is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Even the smallest things can have significant effects on the lives of animals in the shelter. If you are not able to volunteer or foster, you can still help. You make a huge impact when you donate to save animals . The funds will be used to buy supplies like food and medicine, and to improve the shelter’s facilities. Remember, every little bit counts.

Your Support Makes a Great Life for our Rescued Animals Possible

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Essay on Stray Dogs

Students are often asked to write an essay on Stray Dogs in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Stray Dogs

Understanding stray dogs.

Stray dogs are dogs that live on the streets without human care. They are often seen in cities and towns around the world.

Life of Stray Dogs

Stray dogs face many challenges. They struggle to find food, shelter, and are exposed to diseases and harsh weather conditions.

Human Interaction

People’s reactions to stray dogs vary. Some people feed and care for them, while others may harm or ignore them.

Helping Stray Dogs

We can help stray dogs by providing food, shelter, or by informing animal welfare organizations about them.

Importance of Kindness

Treating stray dogs with kindness teaches us compassion and empathy towards all living beings.

250 Words Essay on Stray Dogs

Introduction.

Stray dogs, often considered as a societal concern, hold a significant place in the urban ecology. Their existence, although sometimes seen as a problem, highlights the complex interplay of human-animal interactions and urban development.

The Urban Canine Conundrum

Stray dogs are a byproduct of rapid urbanization. As cities expand, habitats are destroyed, leading to an increase in the population of stray dogs. They survive on the fringes of human society, feeding on waste and often facing harsh living conditions. This situation raises critical ethical questions about animal rights and our responsibilities towards these creatures.

Health Implications

Stray dogs pose potential health risks to humans and themselves. They are often carriers of diseases like rabies, posing a significant public health concern. Simultaneously, their exposure to harsh environments makes them vulnerable to various health conditions.

Solutions and Responsibilities

Addressing the issue of stray dogs requires a multi-pronged approach. Spay and neuter programs can control the population, while vaccination drives can mitigate health risks. Furthermore, fostering a culture of adoption can provide these dogs with safe homes.

However, these solutions require a collective effort. Governments, non-profit organizations, and citizens must work together to create a more humane and sustainable urban environment for all inhabitants, including stray dogs.

In conclusion, the issue of stray dogs is a reflection of our urban societies’ dynamics. While they pose challenges, they also present opportunities for us to reassess our relationship with animals and our environment. Through collective efforts and empathy, we can transform this urban challenge into a testament of our humanity.

500 Words Essay on Stray Dogs

The plight of stray dogs.

Stray dogs are a ubiquitous sight in many urban and rural landscapes around the world. These are dogs that have been abandoned by their owners, or have been born and raised on the streets without ever having a human caretaker. They are often seen as a public nuisance, but their existence is a reflection of human indifference and irresponsibility.

Causes of the Stray Dog Problem

The root cause of the stray dog problem is human behavior. Irresponsible pet ownership, lack of spaying and neutering, and abandonment of pets are the primary reasons for the growing population of stray dogs. Many pet owners fail to grasp the commitment required to care for a dog, resulting in neglect or abandonment. Furthermore, the lack of effective animal control policies and programs contributes to the issue.

Implications for Human and Dog Welfare

The stray dog problem has serious implications for both human and dog welfare. Stray dogs often suffer from malnutrition, disease, and abuse. They are prone to rabies, which poses a significant public health risk. Furthermore, they can cause traffic accidents, and their presence in public spaces can lead to fear and discomfort among citizens.

On the other hand, stray dogs also have a social role in communities. In some cultures, they are seen as communal pets, and their presence can contribute to the neighborhood’s identity. They can also serve as a form of natural surveillance, deterring crime and providing a sense of security.

Addressing the Stray Dog Issue

Addressing the stray dog issue requires a multifaceted approach. First, responsible pet ownership should be promoted through education and awareness campaigns. This includes understanding the responsibilities of owning a pet, promoting spaying and neutering, and discouraging abandonment.

Second, effective animal control policies and programs should be implemented. This includes humane capture and sheltering of stray dogs, as well as adoption programs. It’s crucial to involve the community in these efforts to ensure their success.

Finally, legal measures should be taken to protect stray dogs. This includes laws against animal cruelty and abandonment, as well as regulations for pet shops and breeders.

In conclusion, the stray dog issue is a complex problem that requires comprehensive solutions. It’s not just about controlling the population of stray dogs, but also about changing human behavior and attitudes towards these animals. By promoting responsible pet ownership, implementing effective animal control policies, and enforcing legal measures, we can create a society where every dog, stray or not, is treated with respect and compassion.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on My Pet Dog
• Essay on My Dog
• Essay on Greedy Dog

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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A workable solution for Gurgaon’s stray dog problem

Instead of “detaining” canines, MCG must remove garbage & partner individuals, RWAs and NGOs to carry out sterilisations to resolve the conflict

Recent data provided to the Haryana Assembly states that between 2014-22 Municipal Corporation of Gurugram spent Rs 2.87 crore to sterilize 42,228 stray (community) dogs, leading other municipalities. In all, Haryana’s municipal bodies spent Rs 17.46 crore to sterilize 1.37 lakh dogs over a seven-year period.

This is woefully inadequate. Despite being the best of the lot, MCG’s tally barely scratches at the surface given Gurugram’s street dog population. MCG will always be way behind the curve and struggle to find personnel and means for neutering operations — let alone the will or a sense of prioritization the task requires.

As the stray population increases, MCG resorted to what seemed the easy way out. It issued an order that dog owners must register their pets (one per family) and canines found in public places without tags will be detained and destroyed if not claimed in a week’s time. Protests by pet owners and animal lovers saw the corporation amending its order with officials saying the intention was never to kill unclaimed dogs.

Yet, the amended order continues to be dissatisfactory on many counts. Unregistered pet dogs will be “detained” at a facility until the owner shows up and pays a fee for the time spent at the shelter. But what about strays? If they are picked up, who will come forward to claim them? And even if a caregiver does, will she have to fork out money for the time the dogs were “held in detention”?

  Anti-dog sentiments

Recent weeks and months have seen a worrying rise of “anti-dog” sentiment in the wider public. Many people are demanding “something be done” about strays on the grounds that they pose a danger to residents. Some instances of attacks have only fed these accounts, even though on the whole strays are often victims of gratuitous and sadistic violence and vulnerable to accidents and injuries.

It is, however, true that there is a need to control stray population so that there is no overcrowding, territorial fights and instances of dog bites. But the way to do this is not detention or destruction of strays. It seems an easy solution but lining up carcasses will not be enough: there are too many strays and it will take forever, leave aside the brutality of making dogs pay for what is essentially a failure of municipal governance.

Getting after dog feeders will not help either. Even if they stopped feeding community dogs, the stray problem will not go away. Rather, half-starved dogs will be more aggressive and a bigger issue. Very often animal enthusiasts pay for anti-rabies shots and also foot the bill for sterilization in their colonies.

Solutions that can work are not rocket science

There is no short cut but there are indeed solutions that are doable. And they are neither expensive nor rocket science.

– No corporation can undertake the scale of sterilization needed. MCG should continue to interact with serious NGOs and individuals who are keen to find answers. It should also post on its website an announcement seeking suggestions from the public. The corporation will be surprised at the utility of the exercise.

– MCG can launch a public initiative seeking partners (individuals and organisations) to carry out sterilizations. This can be volunteering to identify strays in colonies in coordination with MCG who are then operated on and released back to their locales. The corporation can seek funds from the public who can donate for this specific cause. As of now a limited number of NGOs carry out or facilitate operations.

– Private vets can be encouraged to operate on strays brought in by individuals. They can upload proof of sterilization and claim a reimbursement. It will not be the thousands they charge for pets but some vets will agree to devote time for this public cause.

– An increase in the number of sterilization operations will impact the stray population but more is needed. This will happen only when the corporation (and individuals) reduce/eliminate garbage on the roads that is a food source for strays.

– Garbage management is a key failing of municipalities and MCG is no exception. This is a vital task where the corporation must step up its game. The logic is simple enough. The garbage piles that are common place in Gurugram result in a rise of not just the dog population. All manner of stray animals feed off these dumps. Cattle, pigs, rodents all proliferate besides dogs, posing a risk to public health.

– To sum up, a well thought out sterilization programme along with garbage disposal will bring down the stray dog population to manageable limits. There will be a survival of the fittest. These are tasks where MCG must show leadership. It can seek many partners, including top IT firms in the city who can be asked to donate brain power to devise digital tools for the purpose.

Framing a humane response

The ugly scenes often witnessed in societies and colonies where a section of residents and dog owners/feeders regularly clash can be avoided. Some of the above suggestions may already be in operation but need more urgent application. The victims of rage and apathy are canines who have no votes and who, if given the slightest encouragement, are loyal and loving mates. They are our responsibility.

The cliché that one way a society is judged is by how it treats animals is very true. It is not a difficult test to pass if only we put our minds to it.

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