From stray-dog killings and euthanasia to the dog meat trade, millions of dogs around the world still face very different realities. On International Dog Day, OIPA ETS looks beyond celebration to the challenges that remain and to the people working every day to change them.

For millions of people around the world, a dog is family. Dogs share our homes, grow up alongside our children, travel with us, comfort us and become part of our everyday lives.

But being a dog does not mean having the same life everywhere.

Depending on where in the world a dog is born, it may sleep safely inside a family home or spend its entire life struggling to survive on the streets. It may receive veterinary care when sick, or never see a veterinarian. It may be protected by law, or become the victim of poisoning, shooting, abandonment, indiscriminate capture or killing. In some parts of the world, dogs continue to be caught, traded and slaughtered for human consumption.

On 26 August, International Dog Day, OIPA wants to celebrate the extraordinary bond between humans and dogs  but also to remember the countless dogs for whom protection is still far from guaranteed.

Because a dog’s right to protection should not depend on where in the world that dog is born.

When managing stray populations becomes a question of life or death

Across different regions, OIPA continues to receive reports concerning harmful and sometimes violent approaches to stray-dog management.

In Egypt, OIPA has been following alarming reports concerning stray dogs since July, when hundreds of animals were allegedly captured in Alexandria and transported to remote desert areas without adequate access to water, food or shelter. More recently, OIPA requested clarification over the reported relocation of dogs from Mansoura to an undeveloped area in Gamasa–Qalabsho, where serious concerns were raised about the conditions in which the animals were left.

In Algeria, OIPA recently called on the authorities to review lethal stray-animal control practices after receiving documentation concerning municipal campaigns involving the killing of free-roaming dogs and, in some cases, cats. OIPA is urging a transition towards vaccination, sterilisation, veterinary care and a One Health approach capable of protecting animals and communities together.

In Kazakhstan, OIPA formally addressed the Government in April 2026 following reports and documentation concerning shootings, poisonings and other forms of extreme violence against stray animals, calling for humane and evidence-based population management instead.

And these challenges are not confined to one part of the world.

In Romania, dogs in some areas face capture, shelter confinement and possible euthanasia after the legal holding period. In response, OIPA Romania launched “Sterilization, Not Euthanasia”, a campaign aiming to sterilise between 300 and 500 dogs in Ernei and surrounding areas of Mureș County, with the first procedures already completed.

Different countries, different circumstances — but one recurring lesson: killing animals does not address the causes of stray-dog populations.

Long-term solutions require prevention, sterilisation, vaccination, identification, responsible ownership, veterinary care and cooperation between public institutions and organisations working on the ground.

When war leaves animals behind

Armed conflict creates another, often overlooked, reality for dogs. When communities are displaced and essential infrastructure collapses, animals can be left without food, veterinary care or safe shelter.

In Palestine, OIPA’s local representation continues to report the severe impact of the conflict on both companion and free-roaming animals, with access to food, medicines and veterinary assistance increasingly difficult in affected areas. OIPA Palestine continues to support animals and raise awareness of their needs despite extremely challenging conditions.

Similar concerns come from Syria, where years of conflict and instability have deeply affected people, animals and the environment alike. Through its local network, OIPA promotes an approach based on the One Health principle, recognising that protecting animals and rebuilding safer communities are closely interconnected.

When dogs are still considered food

For people who have always known dogs exclusively as companions, another reality can be difficult to imagine.

Yet the dog and cat meat trade continues in parts of Africa and Asia, where OIPA and its Member Leagues have long supported campaigns calling for an end to these practices.

At the same time, change is possible. South Korea, for example, adopted legislation in 2024 banning the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption, with the prohibition becoming fully effective in February 2027. OIPA has welcomed this historic transition while calling for transparency and safeguards for the thousands of dogs affected by the closure of the industry.

The issue is also present in parts of Africa. In Liberia, a scientific study on human-dog relationships and rabies prevention found that 43% of surveyed respondents reported having consumed dog meat at least once, illustrating how animal welfare, cultural practices and public health can intersect.

This is why lasting change cannot simply come from condemnation. It must also come through education, dialogue and the involvement of local communities themselves.

OIPA’s Representative in Liberia, is working precisely at this level, promoting responsible animal care, rabies prevention and the One Health approach. A recent initiative in the Parker Paint Community brought together residents, young people, animal owners, local leaders and representatives of public institutions to discuss how protecting animals can also help build safer and healthier communities.

Another way is possible

International Dog Day should not only expose suffering. It should also highlight the people proving every day that another approach is possible.

Morocco offers perhaps one of the clearest examples.

OIPA joined the international IAWPC coalition in March 2026 amid growing concern over reported mass killings of stray dogs and their alleged intensification in connection with preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. According to information reported by the coalition, methods have included poisoning, shooting and violent capture. OIPA continues to call for humane and effective alternatives to killing.

But there is another story coming from Morocco too.

OIPA Representative in Morocco, works locally to rescue, shelter, vaccinate, sterilise and provide veterinary care to vulnerable animals. On 13 June 2026, a new shelter was inaugurated in Aïn Jouhara, near Tiflet, providing rescued dogs and cats with food, water, veterinary assistance and a place of safety while also promoting animal-welfare education among local communities and younger generations.

The same community-based approach can be seen elsewhere.

In Tanzania, the OIPA Representative combines veterinary outreach with rabies prevention, sterilisation, education and training. OIPA Tanzania is also developing a programme in Mpwapwa that brings young people and dogs together through humane education and positive-reinforcement training, encouraging empathy, responsibility and safer coexistence.

In Cameroon, OIPA has brought veterinary assistance directly to communities through its mobile veterinary clinic, providing treatment and sterilisation while combining practical support with education on animal welfare and responsible care.

And in India, prevention and education are at the heart of OIPA’s work in Rajasthan. Through Rabies Free Jaipur 2030, the local representation promotes anti-rabies vaccination, dog-bite prevention and awareness activities involving students, families and communities, helping people understand that protecting public health and protecting dogs are not opposing goals.

These initiatives may take place thousands of kilometres apart, but they share the same principle:

prevention works better than killing, education works better than fear, and cooperation works better than abandonment.

One day to celebrate them — every day to protect them

International Dog Day is a celebration of everything dogs bring into human lives: companionship, loyalty, trust and an extraordinary capacity to build relationships with us.

But celebration also comes with responsibility.

“For us, International Dog Day is an opportunity to celebrate the special relationship we share with these animals, but we cannot forget that in many parts of the world dogs — particularly free-roaming dogs — continue to suffer violence, indiscriminate killing and abuse. Their protection cannot depend on the country in which they are born, nor on whether society chooses to see them as companions, unwanted animals or something else. We must continue working with institutions, local organisations and communities to replace violence with concrete, humane and sustainable solutions.”

Massimo Pradella, President of OIPA ETS

There is no single solution that can simply be copied from one country to another. Every community has its own social, economic and public-health challenges.

But some principles should be universal.

Sterilisation instead of indiscriminate killing. Vaccination instead of fear. Responsible ownership instead of abandonment. Education instead of cruelty. Cooperation instead of indifference.

Today, while millions of dogs are being celebrated in homes around the world, OIPA also wants to give visibility to those who remain unseen: the dog searching for water after being abandoned, the one waiting behind the bars of an overcrowded shelter, the one born into the dog meat trade, and the countless free-roaming dogs whose lives are still considered expendable.

Different countries. Different lives. But every dog deserves protection.