Approximately 3.1 million dogs end up in U.S. animal shelters each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
There are a multitude of reasons why these dogs end up in such shelters.
The unfortunate reasons include COVID-19, which may have affected the owner’s health or financial situation. While stuck at home during the pandemic, many people bought puppies and now do not want or cannot care for the mature dogs.
Some dogs are surrendered because of problem behavior such as aggression, a lack of training, pet health costs, even their size, and many more reasons.
We all are familiar with dog rescue groups, pet adoption and have heard the slogan “adopt don’t shop,” but what else can be done? The Netherlands may have it figured out!
In 1996, the Dutch passed a law to protect animals from distress, pain and suffering in the best possible way; to promote the welfare and good treatment of animals; and to implement directives relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos.
Stray dogs are defined by the law as “a dog deemed to be running at large when found in any place other than the premises of the owner.” Street dogs, also known as “free-ranging urban dogs,” are stray dogs that are unconfined dogs living homeless in cities.
There are more than 200 million stray dogs worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
In the Netherlands, however, there are NO stray dogs. This is the first country in the world that can say this.
Furthermore, the Netherlands accomplished the feat without a mass euthanasia of stray dogs. So Holland is known for much more than its wooden clogs!
In 1996, the government mandated that every dog had to be neutered or spayed. These surgeries were and are financed by the government.
The government also pays for some veterinary treatment when needed. Alleviating people’s financial burden helped make this mandate successful.
If you breed, buy, sell or board pet animals professionally, you must follow many strict laws. If you choose to buy a dog from a breeder or pet store, there are much higher taxes to pay for the purchase.
Any act of neglect or cruelty toward an animal is typically punished by three years in prison and a fine of about $16,500. Pet abandonment is illegal.
A special police division was created to enforce the laws, with the primary goal of preventing animal cruelty and abandonment. People with concerns about an animal can call the “Animal Police,” and the country has more than 200 dog shelters — all of them “no-kill shelters.”
In the 19th century, the number of dogs in Holland was the largest in Europe. This resulted in a disturbing outbreak of rabies among the indigenous population that, coupled with the poor hygiene of the time, became a leading cause of death in the country.
The first Dutch animal protection agency was established in 1864. Thirteen years later, the first canine shelter opened.
The government introduced the Animal Protection Act in 1962. Ever since, animal rights have been at the forefront of the Netherlands’ social issues.
Stray dogs for the Dutch are now part of their country’s history. The first stray dog-free country in the world managed to not leave a single abandoned dog in the street.
Nearly 90% of the Dutch have welcomed a dog into their family. This means that approximately 1 million dogs now have homes and families.
Let’s see what we can do here for our dogs in Santa Barbara County. We are a dog-friendly community and this is such a dog-friendly place.