हिंदी

Both the U.S. and India have large numbers of free-roaming cats and dogs, with various approaches to their management. However, little is known about how these animals and management strategies are perceived by the general population. This study compared how people in India and the U.S. think about free-roaming cats and dogs. The aim wasn’t to evaluate actual management methods or policies, but rather to understand the public’s perceptions of the animals and who’s responsible for them and to what degree.

Between August 2021 and February 2022, researchers surveyed almost 500 people across the two countries via snowball sampling through animal welfare organizations, shelters, and rescue centers. The survey was broken down into three sections:

1. Demographic information, including history of companion animal guardianship and experience caring for free-roaming animals;
2. Perceptions of and concerns about free-roaming animals; and
3. Beliefs about the best strategies for reducing free-roaming animal populations and who’s responsible for their care.

The final sample consisted of 288 U.S. and 210 Indian respondents.

Perceptions Of Free-Roaming Animals

Overall, respondents from India were more likely to agree that free-roaming dogs and cats are community animals who should be allowed to roam freely, while U.S. respondents were more likely to disagree. However, in both countries, neither group believed that these animals have a good life on the streets.

Concerns About Free-Roaming Animals

While animal welfare mattered in both regions, concern was higher in the U.S. than in India (for dogs: 93% versus 60.5%; for cats: 86% versus 56%). U.S. respondents were also more concerned than Indian respondents about disease risks to humans (for dogs: 67% versus 33%; for cats: 61% versus 25%) and harms to wild animals (for dogs: 37% versus 10%; for cats: 56% versus 9%).

Beliefs About Strategies For Managing Free-Roaming Animals

In the U.S., respondents were more likely to support the adoption of sociable cats and dogs. In contrast, people from India were more likely to support the release of cats and dogs after being spayed/neutered and vaccinated, whether they were sociable or not.

Support for euthanasia of sociable cats and dogs was low in both countries (less than 1%), while U.S. respondents were more supportive of euthanizing non-sociable cats and dogs than Indian respondents.

Beliefs About Who’s Responsible For Free-Roaming Animals

Across both regions, it was seen as mostly the responsibility of the government or nonprofits to spay/neuter, vaccinate, and care for injured free-roaming animals, as opposed to that of veterinarians or local people. However, more Indian than U.S. respondents identified local people as responsible for helping — a difference of nearly 30%.

Demographic Differences

Among Indian respondents, 24% were male and 75% were female, while in the U.S., 11% were male and 86.5% were female. There were significantly more respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 in India and above the age of 45 in the U.S. In both countries, the majority of respondents had higher education qualifications.

Most Indian respondents were dog guardians (39.5%), followed by cat guardians (14%) and guardians of both dogs and cats (14%). There were similar proportions of dog guardians (41%) and cat guardians (16%) in the U.S., though more U.S. respondents had both dogs and cats (34%).

Indian respondents were more likely to have cared for an injured free-roaming cat or dog (82%) compared to U.S. respondents (64%), as well as more likely to have had a free-roaming dog or cat spayed or neutered (51%) compared to U.S. respondents (37.5%).

As the researchers used snowball sampling, respondents from each country were not necessarily representative of their respective populations. Also, the researchers didn’t collect data on property ownership, urban or rural location, or different geographical areas for regional variation, which can all contribute to differing views on free-roaming animals. This means, therefore, that the sample surveyed could lead to biases in the conclusions drawn.

Consider The Context

Given the differences in views that emerged between the two countries, the researchers highlight the need to consider cultural variation when managing free-roaming animals. For instance, it’s part of the Constitution of India to share a commitment to and compassion for protecting the environment and all animals. In the U.S., it’s often local animal control policies that govern the management of free-roaming dogs and cats instead.

The researchers also note that individualism is a stronger concept in the U.S. compared with collectivism in India, which might also contribute to perceptions of free-roaming animals. This is reflected in the fact that only a single person from the Indian sample (0.5%) responded that it was no one’s responsibility to care for these animals, while almost 10% of U.S. respondents shared the same view. Ultimately, the context of where the work happens will impact its effectiveness.

However, while cultural differences should be considered when thinking about the most effective policies to develop and implement around free-roaming animals, it’s also important for animal advocates to consider health and safety objectively beyond people’s attitudes. The welfare of these animals needs to be considered in its own right, along with the potentially negative impact these animals have on wild animals, humans living in the area, and their contribution to the spread of diseases like rabies, to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved.