A dog in recovery after being spayed in De Doorns in the Western Cape in South Africa

World Spay Day: Love Your Pet

With key pet days approaching, FOUR PAWS pushes for a national focus on sterilisation and responsible care

Cape Town, 16 February 2026 – Global animal welfare group, FOUR PAWS is challenging the nation to turn February into a month of action and compassion. With Love Your Pet Day on 20 February and World Spay Day on 24 February, the organisation calls on every community to make sterilisation the priority for responsible pet care.

South Africa faces a pet homelessness crisis:

  • It is estimated that 22% of the country’s 18.6 million cats and dogs are homeless - That’s 4.05 million animals living on the streets.
  • In Cape Town alone, the SPCA processed 23,621 animals in 2024, many surrendered or abandoned due to unplanned litters.

“Sterilisation is not just a veterinary procedure; it’s a community solution. From townships to suburbs, every spay and neuter helps break the cycle of suffering. Loving your pet should be more than treats; it’s about protecting lives.”

Fiona Miles, Director of FOUR PAWS South Africa

Why this matters for every community

  • The reality is free-roaming dogs and cats multiply quickly, leading to disease risks and strain on local welfare groups.
  • Shelters are overwhelmed, and adoption rates can’t keep up with intake.
  • Sterilised pets live longer, healthier lives and are less likely to roam or fight.

Call to Action:

  • Support community sterilisation drives.
  • Partner with local NGOs to make sterilisation accessible.
  • Encourage vets to offer discounted spay/neuter packages during February.
  • Share FOUR PAWS’ myth-busting guide to educate pet owners.
  • Advocate for responsible pet ownership laws like microchipping, sterilisation and vaccination.

For more information, please visit our website at www.four-paws.org.za

/ENDS

Public Relations Officer ZA

Deidre Daniels

Public Relations Officer

Deidre.Daniels@four-paws.org

+27 (0)21 702 4277

+27 (0)78 675 8220

9B 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

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