Welfare of Street Dogs and Cats
- The stray dog / street dog mean any dogs not under direct control by a person or not prevented from roaming.
Types of Stray Dogs (Source: OIE, 2011)
- Free-roaming owned dog not under direct control or restriction at a particular time
- Free-roaming dog with no owner
- Feral dog is the domestic dog that has reverted to the wild state and is no longer directly dependent upon humans
Common sights for street dogs – across the street, within the residential blocks, communities around the corner, near the garbage dump, wherever people live
The major welfare issues of street dogs and cats are:
- Hunger, thirst, malnutrition and starvation.
- Absence of shelters resulting in thermal and physical discomfort as they are exposed to natural elements and extreme weather conditions.
- Pain, injury and diseases as they are stray animals without any care.
- Fear and distress, as many humans treat them as unwanted members of the society due to the fear of deadly rabies disease.
The relationship between street dogs and the human population in our country is mostly harmonious, but rabies is a major concern.
Street dogs are a main vector of this deadly disease, which can make them unwanted members of society, leading to inhumane slaughter