The Netherlands has become the world’s first country to eliminate its stray dog problem. Almost all dogs in the country appear to have been rehomed and are now human companions. As a result, there are very few stray dogs left.
Examples of stray dogs are a free-roaming dog without an owner, a communal dog, or a feral dog.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are around 200 million stray dogs worldwide, with a significant number in many nations, posing a substantial health and animal welfare issue.
According to certain studies, there is a link between country prosperity as well as the number of stray dogs. One of these used to be the Netherlands.
The Netherlands had a large dog population because owning a dog was seen as a sign of social standing in the 19th century.
Then, an outbreak of rabies created widespread panic, and many people abandoned their “pets” (a typical response when humans see pets as “something” they own rather than partners with whom they share a life).
Consequently, the stray dog population grew out of hand.
Later, the Dutch government enacted a dog tax to control the number of stray dogs, but many individuals were unable to afford it, resulting in further abandonments.
The problem was eventually addressed using two strategies. First is the CNVR program (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return), which is a government-funded sterilization program. Second, many localities raised taxes on dogs purchased in stores in order to encourage people to adopt homeless dogs from shelters.
These strategies appear to have worked over some time. After rescuing a million dogs from the streets, nearly one in every five Dutch citizens now lives with a dog. In the Netherlands, over 1.5 million companion dogs now live in homes.
Thanks to Vegan FTA for sharing this insightful article.
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