World Stray Animal Day Date in the current year: April 4, 2024

Stray animals are pets who end up in the streets after being abandoned by their owners, either inadvertently or deliberately, or animals that were born into the streets. They should not be confused with free-roaming pets that wander the streets without supervision but have a home to return to. Even though it is illegal in many jurisdictions to abandon pets, there are nearly 200 million stray dogs worldwide and an even higher number of cats, according to WHO estimates.

Stray animals have no one to take care of them and live hard lives filled with many challenges. They often struggle to find food, water and shelter, and succumb to curable diseases due to a lack of access to necessary medical care. Pets that are relinquished to animal shelters rather than left in the streets may end up being euthanized due to a lack of free space or financial resources.

What complicates the situation is that sometimes stray animals can be a menace. For example, dogs can go feral and attack people when feeling threatened; stray animals increase potential exposure to rabies, toxoplasmosis and other zoonotic diseases; their presence near roads increases the likelihood of traffic accidents; finally, stray animals breed uncontrollably, resulting in the overpopulation of unwanted animals. These dangers are something that cannot be ignored, but the ways that authorities choose to deal with them often leave much to be desired.

Sadly, animal shelters cannot accommodate all homeless animals, resulting in stray animals being euthanized at best and shot or even poisoned at worst. There are humane ways to control the population of stray animals and protect people from zoonoses such as spaying/neutering and vaccination campaigns, but they require effort and funds. This is why it is so important to raise awareness of the plight of stray animals and make people understand that killing them is not the answer.

World Stray Animal Day was launched in 2010 at the Dutch National Stray Animals Conference, where more than a hundred Dutch animal welfare organizations gathered to discuss the ways to raise awareness of the plight of stray animals. The main goal of the observance is to raise funds for animal shelters, sterilization and vaccination programs, and food and medical care for homeless animals.

How can you get involved with World Stray Animal Day? The best way would be to adopt a stray dog or cat, but we understand that this option is not for everyone: you should not adopt a pet if you are not 100% sure that you are able to give them the care and attention they deserve. Luckily, there are ways to help stray animals even without adopting one. For example, you can temporarily foster a stray cat or dog, volunteer at your local pet shelter, donate toys, blankets or food, organize an event to raise money for a desex or vaccination campaign in your area, and spread the word on social media with the hashtag #WorldStrayAnimalDay.