Global animal welfare group, FOUR PAWS has challenged the nation to turn February into a month of action and compassion. With Love Your Pet Day on Friday, 20 February and World Spay Day on Tuesday, 24 February, the organisation has called on every community to make sterilisation the priority for responsible pet care.
FOUR PAWS aims to remind the community how responsible pet ownership can curb pet overpopulation and shelter overcrowding.
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, says the NPO.
"Sterilisation is not just a veterinary procedure, it's a community solution," says Fiona Miles, Director of FOUR PAWS South Africa. "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."
FOUR PAWS advises why this matters for every community:
- The reality is that 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.
FOUR PAWS Suggests the following calls 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, and
- advocate for responsible pet ownership laws like microchipping, sterilisation and vaccination.
For more information, visit www.four-paws.org.za.
*Image courtesy of contributor