The Overgrowing Issue of Stray Dogs in Asia
The text discusses the rising issue of stray dogs in Asia, where over 300 million dogs live on the streets, facing challenges like hunger, disease, and early death. The overpopulation of strays contributes to societal problems, including road accidents and the spread of diseases like rabies. Additionally, many stray dogs suffer from cruelty and exploitation, such as being part of the dog meat trade. The text emphasizes the importance of adoption as a solution to reduce the number of stray dogs and improve their well-being.
10/18/20233 min read
When someone opens one of their social media apps, they might see more of the positive side of the world. Their feeds might be filled with cute and happy content. It could be the adorable puppies smiling at the screen or little kids trying to be funny. Those videos send people giggling and smiling, but on some feeds, there are heartbreaking ongoing issues. An ongoing issue that has been happening around the world is the growing number of stray dogs in Asia.
According to The Human Society of The United States, “Across Asia, more than 300 million dogs live on the streets. Many battle hunger and disease and most do not live long enough to see even their first birthday.” These heartbreaking events are continuously growing as more dogs are either being abandoned by their owners, born or living on the streets or never being able to find homes. These dogs are left with no resources, but to fend for themselves in the lonely world. If the dogs are lucky they will be able to find some source of food by scavenging through trash, but some dogs aren’t so lucky, and would eventually starve to death. Some dogs are lucky enough to find caring people who give them leftovers, but this isn’t guaranteed for a lifetime.
As the number of stray dogs grows, it brings an overpopulation of dogs in society. The reproduction of stray dogs in Asia is growing out of control. With no one to prevent the reproduction of the breeds of dogs, there will be numerous stray dog populations in society. If these puppies are lucky there might be some affectionate people who are willing to adopt or take care of them. But, often it is rare to see these types of people. It is not a question that the overpopulation of dogs will lead to many consequences in society. According to Medium, the number of dogs that have gotten into road accidents is uncountable. Stray dogs are careless when it comes to crossing the road in busy intersections or any roads in general, which leads to the growing number of car accidents happening in Asia. “In India, 25 million stray dogs meet their death from road accidents,” (Medium.com). The numbers show the trouble stray dogs bring into society.
Aside from road accidents, other issues are caused by the inclining number of stray dogs. Roaming animals who live out in the world are increasing the spread of diseases. “Again in India, 1.75 million dog bites cases occur annually. Dog bite cases successfully haunt thousands of people in more than 150 countries because 99 percent of rabies virus spread through domestic dogs to humans.” (Medium.com) Rabies is an infectious disease that could lead to the death of many if it is not handled well. According to Medium.com, around 90 percent of rabies death cases are taking place in Asia. Rabies is not the only consequence that takes place with the overpopulation of stray dogs.
Today, stray dogs are being sent to animal shelters. This is a great approach to taking care of stray dogs, but some animal shelters might not have the ability to focus their full attention on the animals. It’s extremely difficult to operate and take care of animals. At times, these dogs might end up in some horrible hands. Stray dogs could be tortured or beaten to death. There are other times when they end up in the dog meat trading business. Animal mistreatment has been increasing in Asian countries, as some countries are allowing the slaughter of animals for food. Animal cruelty is happening as none of the animals are finding the right homes.
These are not the only negative consequences when it comes to stray dogs roaming around the world. But, there are certainly ways for humans to change what is happening. For people who are animal lovers, they are welcome to find adoption places to adopt puppies who are given up by people. Humans can decrease the number of stray dogs if they are willing to adopt a dog. Before adopting a pet, societies should consider if they can take care of another member of the family. Dogs are a lot of work and require a lot of love and care. But, adopting a cute lovable animal would bring joy and happiness to homes. So, before going to adopt a pet, think about the positive things that could happen in the world if one less fluffy animal is not roaming on the streets. Aside from all of the negative events that are happening to stray dogs in Asia, there is always some small positive side of lucky stray dogs being cared for every day.