Prevention, Not Abandonment
FOUR PAWS urges responsible pet guardianship to help tackle South Africa’s growing stray animal crisis
Cape Town, 12 August 2025 – Ahead of International Homeless Animals Day, observed annually on 15 August 2026, global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is calling on South Africans and local government to recognise that responsible pet guardianship remains one of the most effective ways to address the country's escalating stray animal crisis.
While shelters and rescue organisations continue to work tirelessly to care for abandoned and homeless animals, FOUR PAWS warns that sustainable progress will only be achieved by addressing the root causes of animal homelessness, including uncontrolled breeding, abandonment, limited access to sterilisation services and a lack of education around responsible pet care.
Recent data released by Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey provides the most accurate snapshot yet of companion animal ownership in the country. According to the survey, 7.4 million dogs are owned by 4.2 million households (21% of all households), while 2 million cats are owned by 1.3 million households (6.4% of all households). This marks the first credible and verifiable national dataset on owned companion animal populations in South Africa and provides an important foundation for evidence-based animal population management. While this milestone data improves understanding of pet ownership in South Africa, it does not account for the country's stray animal population.
FOUR PAWS believes responsible pet guardianship extends beyond providing food and shelter. It includes making informed decisions about sterilisation, ensuring pets receive appropriate veterinary care, preventing accidental litters and committing to an animal for its lifetime. Economic hardship continues to place pressure on many South African households, often affecting their ability to access veterinary services. As a result, many communities struggle with increasing numbers of unsterilised animals, contributing directly to uncontrolled population growth and mounting pressure on animal welfare organisations.
According to FOUR PAWS, South Africa's companion animal overpopulation crisis is being driven by uncontrolled breeding, low sterilisation rates and a lack of community education. The organisation warns that the resulting cycle of neglect, disease and suffering also creates broader public health concerns, including dog bites and rabies risks. Furthermore, fragmented governance, chronic underfunding and the deprioritisation of companion animal welfare have left non-governmental organisations carrying the burden of animal welfare interventions.
FOUR PAWS is calling on government to take a more active leadership role in addressing companion animal overpopulation by investing in humane population management programmes, strengthening enforcement of existing animal welfare legislation, expanding access to sterilisation services and supporting community education initiatives. The organisation also urges closer collaboration between government, animal welfare organisations and veterinary professionals to ensure a coordinated and sustainable response to the crisis.
Miles says meaningful progress will depend on stronger partnerships between government, civil society and communities.
As South Africa commemorates International Homeless Animals Day this weekend, FOUR PAWS encourages pet guardians to become part of the solution by sterilising their pets, ensuring proper identification, providing lifelong care and supporting local welfare organisations.
FOUR PAWS encourages the public to use International Homeless Animals Day as an opportunity to support local animal welfare organisations, consider adoption and help raise awareness about the importance of sterilisation and responsible pet guardianship.
For more information, please visit our website at www.four-paws.org.za
/ENDS
Deidre Daniels
Public Relations Officer9B Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park,
Green Building, Cape Town, 7945
A Public Relations professional with over eight years’ experience in fostering positive relationships between organisations and media.
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as 13 wild animal sanctuaries and cooperation projects across the globe, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za