The text presents a comparative analysis of the situation of homeless dogs in three selected countries: Poland, Italy and the Netherlands. The aim of the article is to analyze the situation of the homeless in relation to the cultural specificity of a given country. Such an analysis is intended to enable the identification of factors that may help reduce animal homelessness, which is a problem not only for animal welfare, but also for human well-being. Homeless animals are exposed to diseases, death in traffic accidents, lack of food, and unfriendly attitudes from people. In turn, for people, stray dogs pose a risk of bites, the spread of zoonoses, and the need to implement programs financed from public funds and aimed at reducing animal homelessness. The biggest challenge in this situation is ensuring the well-being of animals – is staying in a shelter all their life better than being homeless? In the Netherlands the problem of homeless animals does not exist (they are all caught, placed in shelters and given to adoption) while in Poland there are few free-roaming animals, but there is a huge problem of overcrowded shelters where animals are locked up for life. Italy has free-roaming strays and shelter animals. Comparing the situation of these three countries makes it possible to replicate good practices in preventing animal homelessness.
English
Русский
Język Polski