BOSTON – APRIL 4, 2025 – Over 200 million dogs and even more cats live as stray animals around the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Many of them suffer under the hardships of the streets, get brutally killed or are kept in overcrowded shelters. FOUR PAWS, the global animal welfare organization, in an effort to protect millions of stray animals around the world, strongly condemns the killing and mass sheltering of stray animals. These inhumane, costly and ineffective methods cause tremendous suffering.

For World Stray Animal Day 2025, on April 4, FOUR PAWS advocates for the use of the CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) approach to sustainably and humanely manage stray populations where possible. In 2024, FOUR PAWS provided veterinary help to more than 30,000 dogs and cats in ten countries, including neutering, rabies vaccinations and other medical treatments.

CNVR – four steps to help stray animals and communities alike

FOUR PAWS urges authorities across the world to support local CNVR campaigns to sustainably and humanely manage their local stray populations. Four essential steps are taken in this animal-friendly method:

·       C – Catch: The stray cats and dogs are caught by specially trained experts causing as little stress as possible and brought to a clinic or surgical station for treatment.

·       N – Neuter: Neutering is a permanent treatment to ensure cats or dogs can no longer reproduce. Additionally, benefits are that females are no longer at risk of developing life-threatening uterine infections and males benefit from a significant reduction in their reproductive hormones, resulting in less fighting or roaming.

·       V – Vaccinate: Vaccinating stray animals helps reduce the risk of diseases like rabies and can protect animals and people alike.

·       R – Return: After a successful treatment and recovery, the animals are returned to their territory. To signal that they have been treated, dogs are marked with an ear tag, the ears of cats are tipped or tattooed.

FOUR PAWS is committed to making a better world for stray animals. The organization prioritize two geographical regions where stray populations are abundant: Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. FOUR PAWS works on long-term comprehensive programs in places like Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, and short-term veterinary support projects in countries that need it the most. FOUR PAWS has also completed successful CNVR projects in South Africa, Thailand, Jordan, India and Albania, among others. In Southeast Asia, FOUR PAWS aims to end the dog and cat meat trade and in doing so save an estimated 10 million cats and dog from being killed per year. In Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo and Bali, FOUR PAWS is creating sustainable change through partnerships and coalitions, advocacy, government outreach and public education, providing spay/neuter and medical care, and vaccination services.