362 mio homeless cats and dogs in 20 countries

On 23 January, a global coalition of animal welfare experts working in collaboration with Mars Petcare published the results of the largest international study to date on pet homelessness.

The aim of the “State of Pet Homelessness Project” was to understand the extent of pet homelessness and the factors contributing to pets living on the streets or in animal shelters. It was also intended to shed light on the needs of a huge hidden population of pets.

The results from the 20 countries examined paint a clear picture: nearly 35 per cent of cats and dogs are either homeless or are housed in a pet shelter awaiting a forever home. According to the study, 143 mio dogs live on the streets and 12 mio in pet shelters, while the figures for cats are 203 mio on the streets and 4 mio in shelters.

Data from over 900 global and local sources, almost 30 000 public surveys and 200 expert interviews was used for the study. The countries looked at were Australia,  Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, the USA and the United Kingdom.

“We know that pets provide enormous enrichment for our lives and we want to help all pets receive the care they need,” said Loïc Moutault, global president of Mars Petcare. The company has pledged to support 30 mio endangered pets in the next five years. To coincide with the publication of this data, Mars has also made a donation of 500 000 dollars to Humane Society International to finance projects in India, South Africa and Mexico covering reproduction control, training and care for thousands of animals.