In the first-ever State of Pet Homelessness Index, developed by the American pet-care multinational firm Mars Petcare in partnership with leading animal welfare experts, India has been ranked last out of nine countries in pet care. The Index has found that in India, there are an estimated 91 lakh street or stray cats, 6.2 crore street or stray dogs, and 88 lakh cats and dogs in shelters.
The State of Pet Homelessness Index is based on data collected across three focus areas — ‘All Pets Wanted’, which is evaluated by studying stray populations and responsible breeding; ‘All Pets Cared For’, which denotes pet adoption rates; and ‘All Pets Welcome’, assessed by studying access to care, and pet ownership barriers and policies. India has received 2.7, 1.9 and 2.6 respectively in the three categories. Overall, India scored the lowest with an average of 2.4, well below Mexico (3.9), South Africa (4.0), China (4.8), Russia (5.2), and Greece (5.4). Germany had the highest score, 8.6, followed by the United Kingdom with 7.0, and the United States with 6.4. A score of 10 signifies that no pet homelessness exists.
Here’s What You Can Do:
Adopt Don’t Shop! Here are some shelters you can visit:
Bangalore: Charlies Animal Rescue Centre – CARE, CUPA
Mumbai: Animals Matter To Me, World For All
Delhi: Dogspot, Red Paws Rescue
Pune: Bodhisattva, ResQ Charitable Trust
Chennai: Animal Welfare & Protection Trust, Scan Foundation
Kolkata: People For Animals
Hyderabad: Blue Cross of Hyderabad, People For Animals
Ahmedabad: Jivdaya Charitable Trust