Today is World Stray Animal Day. Originally originated in the Netherlands, but now a worldwide phenomenon that is given attention in more than 80 countries. And unfortunately this is much needed… On this day we raise awareness for stray animals and the responsibility of us humans in this. Because did you know you can very easily help reduce the number of stray animals? And we’re not just talking about donations. But how? We tell you all about it in this blog. Keep on reading!
The importance of drawing attention to this problem
Did you know that there are more than 600 million dogs and cats worldwide that have no home? Especially in third world countries, the living conditions for these four-legged friends are appalling. Stray animals often starve, are driven off and/or mistreated and sometimes even killed by the authorities.
Many of these animals come from our pet will. The animals can come from unplanned litters or from being left on the street. Or think about escaped animals, which do have an official owner, but have been lost and are forced to take care of themselves on the street. All these scenarios mentioned above are of course very sad. The animals desperately need our help.
How you can help as a pet owner
The good news is that we as humans, and therefore you too, can help reduce the number of stray animals. But how?
* Do you have a cat that walks freely outside? Then make sure that he or she has been neutralized (neuter or spay). In this way, you as the owner take your responsibility and ensure that unplanned litters do not arise, resulting in a surplus of cats. Did you know that neutralization also has health benefits for a cat?
* For pets it is important to chip and register them immediately. This prevents your own pet from becoming a stray when he or she gets lost (which we hope not of course!). In this way, the sweet animals are reunited with their owner(s) more quickly. Also don’t forget to change the contact details when you have moved or when you have a new telephone number.
There are of course other options to contribute. There are many organizations that are committed to stray animals. For example, we at STUDIO ANIMAUX monthly support ACE|SHIN, a charity organization dedicated to the fight against the abuse and killing of neglected and abused (stray) dogs and cats in southern Spain.
Want to do something special today for an animal? You can, for example, go to a shelter near you and spend some time with a shelter animal.
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