We gratefully acknowledge that the truck used for transportation of Soi Dogs and Cats was kindly donated by The Marchig Animal Welfare Trust UK
SCAD is a Member Society of
Stray Animal Management Strategies
Thailand has no supportive laws or regulations regarding strays animals. In the absence of enforceable measures, the World Health Organisation Technical Report 931 (12.2.3) recommends that … ‘Alternative approaches, such as the implementation of ‘soft’ population control projects (e.g. Animal Birth Control) and education on proper health behaviour, responsible dog ownership and proper rubbish disposal, should be studied and, where feasible, their implementation promoted.’
Although Animal Birth Control (ABC) and stray animal welfare remain the primary focus of SCAD Bangkok, there are other areas that should also be addressed in the overall strategy to control numbers.
Stray cats and dogs rely on human interaction for their survival. Accessible food sources allow the stray population to increase to the carrying capacity of the environment in which they live. The stray population is also increased by pet abandonment by owners and breeders.
1. Education
Education and public awareness campaigns are essential components in the struggle to control the stray animal population. Whilst people remain unaware of the consequences their own actions have on the stray animal population, activities such as animal abandonment, littering and unauthorised garbage disposal will continue unchecked. Effective strategies: Animal welfare as a part of the curriculum in all schools, encouraging learners to grow into compassionate and caring adults. Secondly, an on-going animal welfare and environmental education/awareness campaign, reaching all adults living and working in Bangkok, promoted by the local government and NGOs.
2. Garbage
Garbage is a readily available food source for stray animals in Bangkok. Waste is left in open or easily accessible containers or strewn on the ground. Although legislation is in place to control littering, it is rarely enforced and the punishment (a small fine) is not a strong enough deterrent. Effective strategies: Sturdy and covered waste containers, available throughout Bangkok; an on-going campaign to change the culture of littering coupled with stringent policing of infringements leading to prosecution and meaningful penalties.
3. Food Stalls and Markets
Food Stalls and Markets can be found on nearly every street in Bangkok. The waste food and excess produce is often simply left behind at the end of the day. Effective strategies: As with consumer refuse: waste containers provided and prosecution for littering alongside an environmental education campaign by the local government.
4. Feeding without Neutering
Many animal-loving people feed stray cats and dogs in Bangkok. Whilst helping the individual animals, this exacerbates the overall problem unless feeding is in conjunction with a spay/neuter programme. Feeding the strays keeps them healthy and means larger litter sizes. Effective strategies: Government and NGOs working together to neuter and return the healthy animals. A cohesive and healthy group of neutered animals will deter other animals from moving into the area and will not increase in number due to breeding, therefore helping to stabilise the stray animal population in that area.
5. Abandonment
Commercial cat and dog breeders abandon animals once past the ‘cute’ saleable stage, or after a lifetime of constant breeding renders them sick and of no further use. Pet owners abandon animals for a variety of reasons – behavioural issues; disease; expense; lack of interest; relocation. Legislation is in place to prevent animals being abandoned on highways (as part of ‘obstruction of highways and waterways’ legislation) but this is not policed with regard to individual dogs and cats and it is not unlawful to abandon animals in temples or rural areas. Effective strategies: Licensing and regulation of cat and dog breeders; licensing and regulation of owned animals; prosecution and meaningful penalties for licensing infringements and abandonment. Financial assistance to lower-income pet owners with regard to animal neutering and disease control.
6. Incarceration (‘Sheltering’) of Animals
Sheltering or killing large numbers of cats & dogs is not an effective long-term solution to the problem of a stray animal over-population as research from the World Health Organisation shows.
Guidelines for Dog Population Management W.H.O. Geneva, 1990 (page 74): ‘Removal and killing of dogs should never be considered as the most effective way of dealing with a problem of surplus dogs in the community: it has no effect whatsoever on the root cause of the problem’
Report of W.H.O. Consultation on Dog Ecology Studies, related to Rabies Control, Geneva 22-25 February 1988 (page 11): ‘In none of the studies did the elimination of dogs by any method have any significant long-term effect on dog population size’
Dog incarceration (sheltering) can cause more problems than it solves: This photograph shows one of many overcrowded dog "shelters" in Thailand, offering no comprehensive spay/neuter, vaccination or treatment programme. Many dogs are suffering. At SCAD we seriously question whether holding hundreds of dogs in this fashion is a humane solution or indeed the best use of government or private resources in a country with a burgeoning stray population of millions. We think not.
Our thanks to Brian Faulkner of Stray Animal Solutions, UK for his paper on the methodology of Stray Animal Management as it is relevant in Thailand.
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