Research shines light on challenges facing pets

According to the latest findings from The State of Pet Homelessness Project, a groundbreaking international study led by a global coalition of animal welfare experts in partnership with Mars, it has been revealed that one in three pets are homeless across 20 countries, including South Africa.

The research sheds light on the hidden plight of pets worldwide and aims to drive informed and targeted actions to address this crisis.

The findings from the countries revealed a stark picture that almost 35% of cats and dogs are either living on the streets or in a shelter waiting to find a home. Across the 20 markets, 143 million dogs were living on the street and 12 million dogs in shelters. There were 203 million feral cats on the streets and four million in shelters.

According to the president of Humane Society International, Jeffrey Flocken, dog and cat homelessness is a hugely complex issue.

“This new data will help animal welfare organisations, policymakers, pet professionals, academics and researchers to better understand the scale and factors influencing the issue, which can in turn support the most impactful interventions.”

Helen McDougall, GM for Mars Multisales Southern Africa, added she hopes this highlights the challenges facing pets.

“As pets continue to play a vital role in the tapestry of countless communities, enriching our social and emotional well-being, Mars, as the world’s leading producer of pet food, hopes that the Annual Pet Homelessness Index will play a role in highlighting the challenges faced by companion animals and their advocates in our country, as well as the opportunities to enhance the quality of life for all.”

The ‘State of Pet Homelessness Project’ used data from over 900 global and local sources, along with almost 30,000 public surveys and 200 expert interviews to build a picture of pet homelessness across 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 UK.

“This index also serves as a crucial resource for Mars, guiding our collaboration with animal welfare experts in fostering pet-friendly cities and tailoring solutions to meet diverse community needs nationwide,” said McDougall.

The data also revealed several common themes across the twenty countries including pet–friendly housing limitations, pet behaviour and stemming homeless population increase.

“We know that pets bring enormous benefits to our lives, and we want to help ensure all pets get the care they need. For every two dogs or cats that are part of a family or community in the countries surveyed, there is another one that is not so fortunate. That is not the world we want for pets, and we hope this data will help drive targeted interventions to give more pets the life they deserve.

“Big and small actions can make a difference, from considering adopting a pet at the individual level, to changes that mean more rental accommodation allows pets.

“We are setting out to support 30 million vulnerable pets over the next five years and hope this data will allow us – and others – to make interventions that make a big difference,” said Loïc Moutault, blobal president of Mars Petcare.

To find out more about the State of Pet Homelessness Project and to go deeper into the data visit www.stateofpethomelessness.com

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