The war, destroying everything in its path, also did not bypass thousands of abandoned animals. They turned into refugees in their own country – pets who lost their owners, orphaned puppies born in the fires. The number of homeless dogs and cats is growing exponentially, and with it – the threat of epidemics, attacks by hungry packs and brutal massacres. The only real and humane way to stop the crisis is to sterilize the animals, but without a systemic approach, the problem will only get worse.
Explosive growth of homeless animals
Today is World Animal Sterilization Day, which falls annually on the last Tuesday of February. On this day, it is worth not only talking about its benefits, but also honestly admit that the problem of uncontrolled reproduction of homeless animals remains painful, and the attitude towards sterilization is still full of myths and stereotypes. Despite the obvious advantages – reducing the number of homeless animals, reducing aggression, preventing diseases – there is still resistance to this practice in society.
Currently, Ukraine is among the top ten countries with the largest number of homeless animals. Even before the full-scale invasion, the number of homeless animals in Ukraine reached about 50 thousand, and now it exceeds 140 thousand animals.
For data LKP “Lev”:
- 84% of animals were abandoned by their owners;
- 11% of animals were lost;
- 5% of animals were born outside.
Homeless animals, the number of which has increased many times due to the war, become carriers of deadly rabies, which leaves no chance without vaccination. And if the problem is not solved systematically, soon we will have to fear not only artillery fire. Yes, in Berdych, packs of hungry dogs are a real boom. They follow people everywhere, and there are cases when they attack. The case when in 2023 they got drunk on a child who died in the hospital from rabies gained such wide resonance. Her mother moved with her to a safe city from shelling, but death overtook the girl not from rockets, but from a dog.
Yes, yes data According to the State Regional Laboratory of the State Production and Consumer Service, in 2024, 26 cases of rabies among animals were detected in the Cherkasy region. This is already 89.7% of the total number of cases registered in 2023, when there were 29. Infected animals were found in 12 communities of Cherkasy district, as well as in four communities of Zvenigorod and Uman districts. The most infected are among dogs (14 cases), cats (10) and foxes (2).
Specialists noted a separate threat in Shpolyansk OTG, where the number of appeals for anti-slavery aid increased from 16 to 31 compared to the same period last year. If in 2023 the attack of a homeless animal on a person was recorded once, then in 2024 there will be nine. Given the difficulties in controlling the population of stray and wild animals, the epidemic prognosis for rabies in humans remains unfavorable.
As are reported in the Kharkiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2024, 25 cases of rabies were registered in 12 OTGs of 6 districts of the region. Among the sick animals are 11 dogs, 12 cats, a bull and a wild raccoon dog. Experts emphasize that both domestic and homeless and wild predatory animals are sick. Also, in a private conversation, local residents of the border villages of Kharkiv Region complain that the number of stray dogs that form packs and attack small cattle, tearing them to pieces, has increased. People are afraid that their turn will come.
For data of the regional military administration of Dnipropetrovsk region, in 2024, 136 cases of rabies were recorded in the region. Specialists of the veterinary service note that the outbreak of the disease is interconnected with the migration of animals from regions where active hostilities are taking place. In order to prevent the spread of the disease in the region, specialists regulate the number of animals and distribute a free special vaccine for animals in communities.
In general, yes data ecologists, in 2024 cases of animal rabies broke out in almost all regions of the country. Thus, cases of rabies among several domestic animals have been recorded in the Zhytomyr region. In Volyn and in one of the districts of Lviv Oblast, quarantine due to rabies lasted for almost two months, and in Transcarpathia, the number of infected animals increased to six. Since the beginning of 2024, 11 cases of infection among animals have been recorded in the Vinnytsia region. Specialists in the Rivne region registered 23 cases of animal rabies.
In 8 months of 2024, it was fixed 148 cases of animal bites to people in the health center of the Kaluska district of the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Of them, 97 people were bitten by domestic dogs, 22 were homeless; domestic cats – 25, homeless – 2; by other animals – 2 (rats).
Rabies vaccination was prescribed to 36 victims compared to 16 in 2023.
As of 2025, the situation with stray dogs that have flooded the streets of Berdychev and attack local residents, including children, is a cause for concern. People repeatedly apply to the mayor of the city with a request to solve a dangerous problem by showing photos of animal bites on his body on social networks.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is one of the five most dangerous zoonoses – diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans and cause significant social and economic damage. It is registered in more than 150 countries and territories on all continents except Antarctica. More than 55,000 people and more than a million animals die from rabies in the world every year. In 99% of fatal cases among people, the source of infection is dogs, and about 40% of victims of rabid animal bites are children under 15 years old.
In Ukraine, a natural epizootic has been going on for more than 40 years, when the virus circulates among 23 species of wild and six species of domestic and agricultural animals in different natural and geographical zones. Although the total number of cases gradually decreased, the war provoked a new wave of infection. Wild animals are migrating from the war zone, and the population of red foxes, the main carrier of the virus, is growing rapidly. Fleeing from shelling, they increasingly enter villages and suburbs, come into contact with homeless animals, creating new foci of the disease.
Due to the suspension of oral rabies vaccination programs for wild animals in a number of regions, the risk of infection has increased significantly. Cases of attacks by rabid foxes on dogs in private yards are already recorded, as well as an increase in the number of infections among domestic animals. Untimely treatment in the event of a bite by such an animal can lead to death.
The situation with homeless animals was problematic before, but relatively stable. However, after 2022, it turned into a crisis. Shelters are overcrowded, municipal programs are strained, and in some regions, people are afraid to go outside because of aggressive gangs. At the same time, cases of cruelty have become more frequent: in desperation, people shoot dogs, poison them or simply lock them in abandoned buildings without food or water. Spaying is the only effective way to stop this uncontrolled growth. It is the standard of civilized population control in the world, while poisoning or mass euthanasia are barbaric methods that have proven ineffective.
World Sterilization Day is supported by many well-known animal protection organizations, which launch special initiatives and actions every year to help as many animals as possible.
Yes, for example, from January 6, 2025 in Ukraine started charity project “Care without borders: free sterilization of cats and dogs”. The goal of this initiative is to reach not only pets, but as many homeless animals as possible. The project will last until February 28, 2025. According to veterinarians, one pair of cats and their offspring can give birth to 420 thousand kittens in 7 years, and one pair of dogs and their offspring – up to 84 thousand puppies. Sterilization can reduce aggression in animals, as well as prevent unwanted behavior associated with the mating period. And sterilized animals live longer on average, as they are less prone to certain diseases, including cancer of the reproductive system.
How the struggle for humanity began from a dump of corpses
A few decades ago, mass killings of stray animals were the norm even in developed countries. They were shot, poisoned, drowned in rivers. Cities saw this as a quick solution to the problem, not realizing that new ones were coming to replace the destroyed animals. The streets were again filled with hungry dogs and cats, which gave birth to even more homeless people.
However, in the 90s, the situation began to change. In the USA and Europe, animal rights activists have proven that sterilization is more effective than any slaughter. The first large-scale campaigns turned out to be successful – the number of homeless people began to decrease, and the costs of animal population control became lower than for euthanasia and trapping.
In 1995, the American organization Humane Society International, together with a group of volunteers, initiated the annual Sterilization Day to tell the world about this method. But the real explosion happened in 2006, when veterinarian Dori Dorsey from North Carolina organized Spay Day USA. She personally saw how thousands of dogs and cats ended up in “liver pits” and decided to act. The campaign spread beyond America and became World Sterilization Day, which is now celebrated every year on the last Tuesday of February. Sterilization has become an effective way of controlling the animal population, which helps reduce the number of stray dogs and cats, and also reduces the risk of disease and unwanted behavior. Veterinarians and animal advocates emphasize that this procedure has a positive effect on the health of pets, extending their lives.
Sterilization of animals in the world
In developed countries, sterilization has long become the norm – not only for homeless dogs and cats, but also for all pets. There are no endless “seasons of puppies and kittens” here, which are then thrown away in boxes in the trash. There is a clear system: if you want to have an unsterilized animal, pay the tax and prove that you are a responsible owner.
For example, in the USA and Canada, sterilization became mandatory in many states as early as the 90s. In shelters, the chance of finding an owner for an unsterilized animal is zero. Before adoption, an operation must be performed, otherwise they simply won’t let you through the door.
In Germany and Switzerland, there is no catching of homeless animals as such, because there are no ones to catch. All pet owners pay taxes, and neutering is part of standard care. Homeless people can still be found in Spain and France, but each region has strict population control programs. For example, in Barcelona, the “catch-sterilize-release” principle works, which helps to keep the number of street animals at a stable level.
But in Asian countries, the situation is radically different. If Japan has a strict policy of control (there are almost no stray dogs in the country thanks to mass sterilization), the situation is critical in China and India. In megacities, millions of animals struggle for survival, and the authorities mostly choose the method of poisoning or shooting.
In Australia, animals have rights too. Every owner is obliged to sterilize his pet, unless he is an official breeder. The authorities understand that population control is not a moral issue, but an ecosystem issue: uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats threatens local nature.
As you can see, the world has long understood the simple truth that if there are fewer homeless animals, then less expenses are needed for shelters, trapping and crisis situations.
Animals have been with people for centuries. They lived in our houses, warmed us on cold nights, guarded the yard, caught mice, waited at the door when we returned from work. They did not ask how much we earn, who we work for, or what problems we have. They were just there – in joy, in sadness, in days when everything falls out of hand.
Now, in difficult times, they are close again. The war took home, stability, and security from many, but dogs and cats continue to be our companions. They save soldiers from loneliness on the front lines, warm children in cold basements, meet their owners in destroyed apartments, as if nothing had happened.
But instead, they themselves were left on the sidelines of life, hungry, frozen and traumatized. Because of the terrible war, the animals were left to fend for themselves, doomed to struggle for survival. It is not their fault that people hurriedly fled the war. Animals also need help and are waiting for a warm home, for an outstretched hand, for a chance not to become part of an uncontrolled street element. Helping them is not only about kindness, but also about responsibility. It is clear that now the problem of homeless animals has already turned from chronic to explosive. Thousands of abandoned dogs and cats have already flooded cities and villages, and their number is increasing every month. Volunteers and shelters are working to the limit, but without a systemic approach, the situation will only get worse.
Of course, sterilization is not a panacea. However, it can become the method of control that will prevent the streets from turning into a battleground between hungry mobs and violent people. It is worth taking note of the experience of developed countries and understanding that where sterilization measures are ignored, animals reproduce faster than they have time to be saved. Where they become the norm, homelessness is reduced without violence.
Interesting facts about sterilization of animals
- Spayed animals live longer because they are less prone to diseases related to the reproductive system, such as cancer of the uterus, ovaries and testicles.
- One unsterilized cat and her offspring can produce more than 2,000 new kittens in just five years. In dogs, this number is even higher.
- In many countries, the sterilization of homeless animals is part of government programs, which allows humane control of their population without mass extermination.
- Sterilization helps to reduce the level of aggression in animals, preventing fights and displays of dominance, especially among males.
- The absence of hormonal changes after sterilization makes the animal’s behavior more predictable: territorial markings, nightly “concerts” of cats and the desire to run away in search of a partner disappear.
- Many veterinarians recommend neutering animals at a young age, as this reduces the risks of surgery and provides the best protection against diseases of the reproductive system.
- Some municipalities provide incentives or even free spaying and neutering services to encourage owners to be responsible for breeding their pets.
- After neutering, cats and dogs have a reduced caloric need, so they can gain weight if their diet is not adjusted to accommodate their new lifestyle.
- In the wild, sterilized animals can occupy their territory for longer because they do not spend energy fighting for a mate or caring for their offspring.
- The first officially documented sterilization of an animal was carried out in the 19th century, and since then this procedure has become safer and more accessible.
