Keeping dogs confined to shelters will not resolve overpopulation: sterilization is the solution
Sterilization is the only effective method to tackle overpopulation. Removing dogs from the streets and placing them in shelters is actually counter-productive.
Removing dogs from the streets only addresses the consequences of overpopulation (the presence of dogs on the streets), not the root causes (unplanned litters)
It may seem like the easiest solution: if we remove all the dogs from the streets, we will combat overpopulation. However, this is not the case.
The presence of dogs on the streets often generates discontent among the local residents, especially when they are in large numbers: they bark, fight among themselves, are sometimes sick or injured, and occasionally even follow passersby.
How the local municipalities react to overpopulation
The local authorities are often called upon to respond to complaints about street dogs, and their methods can vary in severity, depending on the location.
In Cernavoda in Romania, the municipal administration opts to call on dog-catchers who literally remove the animals from the streets and transport them to municipal shelters, where they are euthanized after 15 days if no one comes to claim them.
When catchers arrive in Cernavoda, they capture all dogs indiscriminately, whether they be strays, neighborhood dogs, or privately-owned dogs allowed to roam freely
When they arrive in the city, these catchers capture all dogs indiscriminately, whether they be strays, neighborhood dogs, or privately-owned dogs allowed to roam freely. Many people have witnessed their pets being dragged into a truck and driven away, with no means of retrieving them.
These distressing scenes are unfortunately a common occurrence year after year.
In Italy, while euthanasia in shelters has been abolished, many “lager” shelters still exist. These shelters are overcrowded with confined animals, and most of these dogs will never leave them alive. Their confinement not only causes immense suffering for the animals, but their ongoing maintenance also places a financial strain on both town halls and taxpayers.
Understanding the difference between the causes and consequences of overpopulation
Although the streets may appear free of strays and the issue therefore resolved, the number of dogs often rises again after a few months
Although the streets may appear free of strays and the issue therefore resolved, the number of dogs often rises again after a few months.
Why is this? It is because the root causes are often mistaken for the consequences.
Removing dogs from the streets only addresses the consequences of overpopulation (the presence of dogs on the streets), not the root causes (unplanned litters).
If births are not controlled, there will always be an enormous number of dogs on the streets, exceeding the capacity of shelters to rescue them and the number of families ready to adopt them.
The long-term benefits of sterilization
This is why Save the Dogs has consistently prioritized sterilization campaigns.
Sterilization helps reduce the number of:
- Abandoned animals
- Puppies dying on the streets
- Traffic accidents involving animals
- Suffering and diseases
- Conflicts between stray animals and the community.
Over the past twenty years, we have sterilized more than 42,000 animals, including both dogs and cats, in Romania. We are now also active in Italy and Ukraine, implementing sterilization campaigns and awareness programs.
Between now and the end of the month, all the donations we receive will be doubled, helping us fund sterilization initiatives in the three countries where we operate