Many people gathered together from all walks of life, including legislators, public health officials, and animal advocates. Now, more than 200 years later in the 21st century, Dutch officials finally decided to take serious action. This led to one of the most rapid increases in pet homelessness history. When rabies broke out in the country in the 1900s, though, thousands of people abandoned their dogs, leaving them to fend for themselves as strays out of fear of rabies. In the 1800s, dog ownership was a symbol of status, and so just about every single home had at least one dog, if not more. Holland, though, has broken a world’s first record - like a boss - by completely eradicating homelessness for stray dogs despite the fact that they have been dealing with more stray dogs than almost any other country for nearly 200 years now. But because shelters are not priorities for local governments over police and fire departments, education, parks and sanitation, there has never really been focused effort and resources to address homeless pets. has also been experimenting with ways to curb the ongoing increase in stray dogs wandering the nation. So much so, that the World Health Organization reported an estimation of 200 million stray dogs worldwide. Rescuing stray dogs can reduce poverty by saving human lives, especially in impoverished communities with high stray dog populations and limited access to healthcare.This is an incredible feat considering that the country, along with every other populated region in the world, has been plagued with stray dogs for hundreds of years now. People and dogs alike benefit from animal rescue, sterilization and vaccination efforts. Spay and neuter programs, often called “catch-neuter-return” programs, can drastically reduce stray dog populations without resorting to euthanization.ĭog vaccinations and sterilizations are potentially the most sustainable and ethical solutions to the stray dog crisis. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, one female dog who has not been spayed can produce up to 67,000 offspring in just six years.
Organizations that spay, neuter and vaccinate dogs for free tend to be particularly valuable for shrinking the size of stray dog populations. Some countries have attempted to reduce stray dog populations with euthanasia programs, but ethical dog rescue programs have shown to be equally, if not more effective. Animal shelters help impoverished communities by removing dangerous animals from the street and consequently improving public health. As a result, they are less likely to need expensive medical assistance. With fewer stray dogs on the street, people in developing countries are less likely to experience physical harm from stray dogs. In impoverished communities where many people lack access to healthcare, animal rescue organizations and shelters can reduce people’s need for medical assistance by reducing the prevalence of dog-related injuries. Dog bites can transmit diseases to humans like rabies, but they can also cause serious physical damage and pain, especially to small children. Large stray dog populations put humans at risk of dog bites and attacks, and children tend to be affected by these attacks the most. Safety Benefits of Lowering the Stray Dog Population Moreover, rescuing dogs can reduce poverty by improving canine health, which often improves human health as well. Dog vaccinations can also improve public health by preventing the spread of canine diseases to humans. As a result, fewer stray dogs repopulate and spread diseases over time. For example, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) aims to reduce stray dog populations by capturing, sterilizing, then releasing stray dogs. While some organizations try to find homes for stray dogs, others simply focus on stray dog sterilization and vaccination. Disease prevention tends to be less expensive than treatment as such, limiting the spread of diseases like rabies can be economically friendly. It can also minimize the transmission of other canine diseases onto humans, including viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases.
Rescuing stray dogs can reduce the number of people who contract and die from rabies. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of people who die from rabies live in economically developing countries. Health Benefits of Rescuing Stray DogsĮvery year, around 55,000 people die from rabies, and half of them are children. In addition to saving canine lives, rescuing dogs can reduce poverty by improving human health and safety.
Animal shelters and dog rescue organizations work globally to reduce stray dog populations, which benefits both dogs and people. In comparison, about 95% of dogs have owners in the United States. Only 5% of dogs have owners in most economically developing countries.