April 4th is World Stray Animals Day, a day to raise awareness about the millions of stray animals globally and celebrate the work that organizations do to help them. World Stray Animals Day was first recognized in 2010 by over 100 Dutch organizations that convened at the Dutch National Stray Animals Conference. April 4 was selected because it’s exactly 6 months from World Animal Day.
What it Means to Be “Stray”
“Stray” animals are defined as pets who have been abandoned or lost, as opposed to domestic species born in the wild who are referred to as “feral” animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that while 200 million stray dogs exist around the globe, as many as 480,000,000 stray cats currently roam the streets.
Sadly, research shows that there are an estimated 70 million homeless dogs and cats struggling to survive on the street in the United States. Stray animals can be found everywhere, from inner-city streets to rural villages and the countryside. They can be dogs, cats, or any other animal that has been abandoned or lost.
The Stray Population is Costly
Did you know that U.S. taxpayers shell out between one to two billion dollars annually to pay for animal impoundment, sheltering, euthanasia, and subsequent disposal of homeless animals? That is a lot of money!
Not to mention, the dangerous diseases the stray animals spread. Rabies, for instance, is transferred from animals to humans through saliva in bites. Between 40,000 and 70,000 people die from rabies each year. 99% of those deaths are linked to rabid dog exposure. Sadly, many street animals end up dying from infections and diseases that are preventable.
Prevention is Key
Prevention is key in reducing the number of stray animals. Spaying and neutering your pet is the best thing you can do to help prevent pet overpopulation. Spay and neuter are common surgeries performed by veterinarians while your pet is under anesthesia. Female animals are spayed by removing their ovaries and uterus, and male animals are neutered by removing their testicles. Spaying or neutering also has other physical, behavioral, and environmental benefits that will last your pet’s entire life.
There are estimates that 10 million dogs and cats get lost in the United States every year. Many pets end up at shelters because they get lost or run away. Unfortunately, most of these pets are not reclaimed by their owners and are put up for adoption. If you take the time to microchip your pet, if they do happen to get out, the shelter or any veterinarian can scan your fur baby to reunite you quickly, easily, and efficiently!
Instead of purchasing a pet from a breeder or pet store, consider adoption from a local shelter or pet rescue. You can think of yourself as a hero! Your furry friend will always believe you are a hero since you have saved their life!. Not only are you providing a forever home, but you are opening up room for another stray to go into the shelter, in turn reducing the number of homeless pets on the streets.
Of course, organizations everywhere are working hard year-round to alleviate the suffering of strays, and they can always use help since almost all exist largely or solely on donations and the effort of volunteers. They nearly always need help with feeding, fostering, and transporting animals, and you can distribute flyers, donate toys, blankets, food, and more. Even better, you can help organize a monthly donation drive and spay/neuter and/or vaccination campaigns locally.
Let’s All Do Our Part
While many factors contribute to the problem of stray animals, there are also many ways we can help. World Stray Day is a day for all of us to raise awareness about these sobering statistics and the many ways we can work together to bring these numbers down.
On World Stray Animals Day and every day, let’s all do our part to help these animals in need. They didn’t ask for the life they were born into, so let’s make their lives better. Please consider rescuing or adopting a stray animal. Let’s come together to do what we can to help them. Whether you rescue an animal yourself or donate to a local shelter, your kindness can make all the difference in the life of a stray animal. It will change both of your lives for the better. Don’t forget to share photos of your new furry friend on social media – it’s so wonderful to see them happy and safe in their fur-ever homes!
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