1. India With over 60 million stray dogs, India faces one of the world’s largest street-dog populations. Delhi–NCR is under Supreme Court orders to relocate dogs to shelters, ensure sterilisation, vaccination, and monitoring. Mumbai runs large sterilisation drives with NGOs, while Kolkata designates feeding zones to reduce conflicts. Jaipur operates daily sterilisation clinics, Goa has been rabies-free since 2017 under 'Mission Rabies,' and other cities follow variations of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. (Image: Canva)
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2. The Netherlands The Netherlands is the world’s first country to eradicate stray dogs. Its success came from a nationwide catch–neuter–vaccinate–return (CNVR) programme, strict anti-abandonment laws, high taxes on purebred purchases to encourage adoption, and a strong cultural push that led to over 90% of households adopting pets. (Image: Canva)
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3. Thailand Thailand’s Phuket was once a hotspot for strays, but the Soi Dog Foundation has neutered and vaccinated over 1.17 million animals across the country. This has cut Phuket’s stray population by 90% and pushed the country towards rabies-free status, alongside campaigns against the dog meat trade. (Image: Canva)
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4. Bhutan Bhutan stands out for achieving 100% sterilisation and vaccination of its stray dogs. By integrating animal welfare into public health planning and involving communities in awareness drives, Bhutan has shown that even limited resources can produce outstanding results. (Image: Canva)
5. China China’s priority is rabies control. Mandatory dog registration, mass vaccination campaigns, public reporting platforms, and awareness programs have pushed Beijing’s vaccination rates to over 80% and eliminated human rabies cases since 2021, though crackdowns on unregistered dogs have sparked welfare debates. (Image: Canva)
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6. Turkey Turkey initially used CNVR to manage strays but faced funding and enforcement gaps. In 2024, a new law mandated sheltering, sterilisation, and vaccination of all strays, while permitting euthanasia for aggressive or sick dogs — a move that triggered nationwide protests from animal welfare groups. (Image: Canva)
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7. Brazil São Paulo in Brazil has seen a 60% drop in stray dogs over five years by combining sterilisation, vaccination, and adoption programs. Public outreach on responsible ownership has helped sustain the decline. (Image: Canva)
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8. USA (Austin) Austin’s animal shelters follow a no-kill policy, focusing on rehoming instead of euthanasia. In one year, the city rehomed 30,000 dogs, resulting in a 25% drop in euthanasia rates and setting an example for humane urban animal management. (Image: Canva)
9. Germany, Spain, Japan, and Australia These countries maintain low stray populations through strict pet ownership laws, mandatory microchipping, TNR programs, and public education. Strong adoption cultures and high penalties for abandonment ensure that stray populations remain manageable. (Image: Canva)
