How One Country Achieved A Major Win Against Dog Overpopulation

Bob Barker, the late long-time host of “The Price Is Right,” used to end every episode with a familiar plea: “Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered.”

While his advocacy reaped benefits in the States, there’s one country that has gone much further in its efforts to combat a serious problem involving stray dogs.

A monumental achievement

The Kingdom of Bhutan had long struggled with a huge population of street dogs that suffered from starvation, were frequently hit by vehicles, contracted devastating illnesses, and even spread diseases. But nearly 15 years ago, the government teamed up with the Humane Society International to create an ambitious program called the National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Project.

And a recent ceremony celebrated the fact that Bhutan had achieved full vaccination and sterilization of more than 150,000 stray dogs while providing microchips to about 32,000 canine pets across the country.

A global effort continues

While Bhutan serves as clear evidence that coordinated programs to control the animal population can be effective, the problem is still rampant in much of the world. Estimates indicate that 300 million feral dogs roam the streets throughout the Asian continent, resulting in untold problems for humans, the environment, and the animals themselves.

According to the World Health Organization, about 59,000 people die each year from rabies, with dog bites constituting the cause of most of those cases.

Although Bhutan took a humane approach, too many regions resort to slaughtering the animals or keeping them in substandard shelters.

That’s why Dr. Lotay Tshering, the prime minister of Bhutan, touted the celebration of her country’s success as “a historic gathering, not just for the nation but globally.”

Chris Agee November 6th, 2023

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