An ICAM Methodology Workshop WSPA

1. World Society for the Protection of Animals
DOGS ON THE STREET:
WHERE DO YOU START?
An ICAM Methodology Workshop
Joy Lee
joylee@wspa-international.org

2. World Society for the Protection of Animals
International Companion Animal Management
(ICAM) Coalition

3. World Society for the Protection of Animals
International Companion Animal Management
(ICAM) Coalition
• Guidance through a process
• With local stakeholders
• To assess the local situation
and needs
• To determine the most effective
solution for managing the local
dog population
• Sustainably (long-term)
• In a humane manner.

4. World Society for the Protection of Animals
Where are the dogs coming
from?
- the make-up of the roaming dog
population
- the source(s) of the roaming dogs
Owned roaming Abandoned Lost ‘community dog’ ‘stray’ born on
street

5. World Society for the Protection of Animals
Myth: Most dogs on the street are unowned.
Fact: Most roaming dogs have some form of
‘ownership’ (human carer).

6. World Society for the Protection of Animals
In our experience:
• Colombo, Sri Lanka – 50% of roaming dogs are owned (15,000 owned
– 3,500 roaming)
• Bali – 95-97% owned dogs roam (data from 2 villages, subject of a PhD
study)
• Zanzibar, Tanzania – majority of owned dogs (18,800) roam around
owner’s premises
• Puntarenas province , Costa Rica – 28% of owned dogs (13,000)
allowed to roam
• Turkey – majority owned
• Crete, Greece – 50% of roaming dogs are owned
• Oradea, Romania – majority of roaming dogs are owned
• Yerevan, Armenia – 15% of owned dogs allowed to roam

7. World Society for the Protection of Animals
What happens to the dogs on the
street?
Owned roaming Abandoned Lost ‘community dog’ ‘stray’ born on street
Re-homed Shelters Kill/ Euthanaisa
Death (injury, disease) Killed (poison, shooting)
Caught
CNR

8. World Society for the Protection of Animals

9. World Society for the Protection of Animals
What do we need to know?
Owned roaming Abandoned Lost ‘community dog’ ‘stray’ born on street
Re-homed Shelters Kill/ Euthanaisa
Death (injury, disease) Killed (poison, shooting)
Caught
CNR
Numbers depend on:
• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Human Tolerance

10. World Society for the Protection of Animals
What do we need to know (basics):
• Number of dogs on the street
• Dynamics of the ‘stray’ population (owned vs stray,
welfare, sex, age, females lactating/pregnant, puppies)
• Resource access: what keeps the dogs alive and
reproducing
• Size of owned dog population
• Public attitudes toward strays? Toward their own dogs?
• Public awareness of connection between stray and
owned (‘stray’ might be owned roaming, but creating
puppies)
• Public awareness and attitudes toward principles of
responsible pet ownership (vaccination, sterilisation,
controlled reproduction)
• What are people’s concerns? Rabies? Bites? Barking?
• Do people want dogs on the street? vs. Do people want
dogs killed?
• Will people tolerate community dogs if safe/healthy, not
aggressive and sterilised?
• Why do people own dogs?
• How do they treat their owned dogs? Training?
• Do people let their dogs roam? Abandon?
• What do they do with unwanted puppies when their dog
gets pregnant?
• What are most common issues that people cannot cope
with (causing abandonment)? Disease, behaviour,
money, etc.
• Dogs
• Public Attitude (What
people think, what
people want)
• Human Behaviour
(What people do)

11. World Society for the Protection of Animals
Tools
• Dog population surveys
•Number
•Male, female, puppy, lactating
•Collars
•On leash (with owner)
•Community engagement
•Talking to people to find out their
opinions (attitudes), behaviour
• Who owns a dog? Who owns that dog
on the street?
•Questionnaires
•Focus groups

12. World Society for the Protection of Animals
Help is available!
• Humane Dog Population Management
Guidance (ICAM Coalition, 2008)
• For governments and NGOs involved in dog
population management
• How to assess population management needs and
determine the most effective and resource-efficient
approach
• Available in several languages from:
www.icam-
coalition.org
• More technical guidance also available on website

13. World Society for the Protection of Animals
Thank
you!