69.3 million cats and dogs homeless in India: Study

About 69 per cent (69.3 million) of cats and dogs in India are homeless as per the largest ever international study on pet homelessness – ‘State of Pet Homelessness Project’ released by a global coalition of animal welfare experts in partnership with Mars Petcare India on Wednesday.  The project sets out to understand the scale of pet homelessness in 20 markets, and factors that contribute to pets being on the streets or in shelters, shining a light on the needs of a sizable hidden population of pets. The report reveals that one in three pets are homeless in the world, estimating almost 362 million pets are still waiting to find a home. The global average of homeless pets across 20 markets is pegged at 35 per cent of the total dog and cat population.
The findings from India reveal a stark picture with 69 per cent of all cats and dogs without a home. Most homeless pets (60.5 mn) in India are living on the streets, while others (8.8 mn) are in shelters waiting to find a home. In India, 2,565 experts were interviewed from urban (1,402) areas and rural (1,163) areas for the Project. The project also included interviews with pet professionals from nine metro and non-metro cities in the country.   About 60.5 million (71 per cent) dogs live on the street or in shelters in India, accounting for approximately 39 per cent of the global homeless dog population.  8.8 million cats live on the street or in shelters, accounting for 4.25 per cent of the global homeless cat population. While adoption from shelters is still low, 53 per cent of respondents from urban and rural areas would recommend adopting from shelters in the future.