10 amazing things we achieved for dogs in the last decade

Building a better world for dogs and people 

Sadly, persecution and inhumane culling are cruel facts of life for millions of dogs around the world, but there is a lot to feel hopeful about.  

Over the last 10 years, with the help of our supporters, we moved governments and communities across the world to create harmonious co-existence between dogs and humans.  

Here are just some of the highlights from a very successful decade.

1. Vaccinated over a million dogs 

We vaccinated over 1.6 million dogs across 18 countries on 3 continents, saving countless people and animals from the horror of rabies without the unnecessary cruelty of culling.

2. Educated thousands of dog owners

We ran education programmes to teach responsible pet ownership and dog bite prevention to people of all ages in 16 countries and eight languages. We created the Barkyard app, offering a wealth of dog care information and allowing users to report on their progress vaccinating and neutering their pets. We even published a children’s book in China all about dog and human welfare. 

3. United 64 countries to protect dogs

We persuaded both the African Union and the Association for South East Asian Nations to agree to action plans for rabies elimination which include mass dog vaccination and humane dog population management.

4. Reduced dog rabies cases by more than half

Effective vaccination programmes in Bali, Indonesia, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, led to a 75% and 50% reduction in dog rabies cases respectively. The Balinese government agreed to carry out the regular vaccination needed to prevent rabies returning. In Colombo, authorities abandoned inhumane methods of stray dog control.

5. Saved Romania’s dogs

We convinced the city of Constanta to stop catching and killing stray dogs following our rapid response petition. We also helped fund a new veterinary clinic and rehabilitation centre which cares for and rehomes more than 2,000 homeless, sick and injured dogs a year in the town of Cernavoda. 

6. Inspired change in Kenya and Sierra Leone

Our work in Makueni county, Kenya, and Freetown, Sierra Leone, has protected hundreds of thousands of dogs from inhumane culling. In Sierra Leone, we continue to support the government‘s rabies elimination strategy and train teachers in responsible dog ownership and bite prevention. Our Makueni project is now being replicated elsewhere by the Kenyan government and we have worked in seven more counties so far.

7. Banned dog cruelty in the Philippines

By working with local partners, we achieved a ban on ‘tambucho’, a shockingly cruel practice where unclaimed dogs in pounds were gassed to death with carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust fumes.

8. Gave dogs and their friends the Olympic treatment

In 2016, we inspired the organisers of the Rio Olympics to protect wild and domestic animals around all Olympic sites. With our training and support, local authority and Olympic staff were trained in humane animal handling. More than 200 cats and dogs were rescued and given veterinary care and treatment and 63 wild animals were rescued and released after straying into Olympic areas. 

9. Ran the hugely successful Red Collar Campaign

This campaign saw us working with governments from 2011-2016 to promote the mass dog vaccination for rabies control in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Zanzibar.

10. Convinced the world to care

Through our work with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control and the International Companion Animal Management Coalition we have shifted the global focus of rabies elimination away from cruel culling and made it easier for governments and NGOs to undertake humane dog population control.   

Together, all of these achievements have brought us closer to a world where inhumane dog culling doesn’t exist. 

People are beginning to see that dogs hold the solution to ending rabies, and that our welfare is intrinsically linked to theirs.  

With your support, imagine what we can achieve in the next decade.