International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD)
International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD)
Facilitates collaboration and sharing of resources to support dog welfare, as well as improving access to robust canine genetic testing for breeders.
International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM)
International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM)
Supports the development and use of humane and effective companion animal population management worldwide.
International Cat Care (ICC)
International Cat Care (ICC)
Provides high-level, relevant advice and support for cat owners, cat carers and veterinary professionals so that they can act in the best interests of each cat and its welfare.
Humane Society International
Humane Society International
Committed to promoting the human-animal bond and protecting pets, wildlife, and farm animals all over the world.
American Pets Alive!
American Pets Alive!
Nationwide educational program saving shelter animals from euthanasia and inspiring a culture in animal shelters where every life is valued.
Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs
Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs
A catalyst for developing and implementing non-surgical sterilants (imagine a “spay shot”) and contraceptives for dogs and cats, to transform access to affordable and humane population management beyond what surgery can achieve.
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Our Ambition
Our Ambition
WHY WE’RE DOING IT
It’s simple. At Mars Petcare, we’re driven by our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
That’s why for years we have worked to address pet homelessness issues around the world, with a wide range of programs, including responsible pet owner and breeder education, expanded access to veterinary care, shelter support, branded partnerships and donations.
But there was no consistent way to measure the scale of pet homelessness and map the key issues that need to be solved, or to understand the wider impact of these initiatives, and the efforts of so many organizations with the same goal.
Now, Mars Petcare, in partnership with an Advisory Board of leading animal welfare experts, has released the State of Pet Homelessness Index, the first consistent, methodological measure of pet homelessness by country. Identifying local and contributing factors and building insight into the most impactful factors in each country is an important step on our journey to end pet homelessness.
Our hope is that together with our partners and pet lovers across the globe, we can End Pet Homelessness once and for all
State of Pet Homelessness in numbers
603
Days of research
The Index is based on data from over 200 global and local sources and is supplemented by new quantitative research on people’s attitudes, country by country
200+
Data Sources
Global and local data sources relating to pet homelessness across the globe collected and analyzed
224M
Shelter, street/stray dogs and cats
Estimated number of street/stray dogs and cats in the 9 countries measured so far
20+
Organizations Involved
Mars Petcare teams, charities, non-government, and pet care organizations consulted to gather data on pet homelessness and advise on the Index approach
THE APPROACH
The Index is based on data from over 200 global and local sources, and is supplemented by new quantitative research on people’s attitudes, country by country. This data can then be used by animal welfare organizations, policymakers, pet professionals, academics, researchers and other interested parties to better understand where to direct their action in order to drive change.
It is important to note that the Index is a view of the issue at a specific moment in time when the research was conducted.
Driven by our Purpose
Our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS means that all pets are Wanted, Cared For and Welcome. Here are some of our Associates who are passionate about pets and in helping to End Pet Homelessness.
Catalina Ocampo is a Cat and Dog Methodology Specialist based in Mars Petcare Mexico. She visits schools to teach students the importance of responsible pet ownership.
READ MORE
Brent Mayabb from Royal Canin US, volunteers at local vaccination clinics to give vulnerable people access to preventive care for their pets.
READ MORE
Anton Fennema from AniCura Netherlands travels all the way to Suriname to run an affordable spay and neuter clinic for dog and cat owners alongside other volunteers.
READ MORE
Resources
Get a head start on making a difference with these ready-made materials.
State of Pet Homelessness Index Infographic
DOWNLOAD
Better Cities for Pets™ Toolkit
FIND OUT MORE
Mars Petcare “Keeping People and Pets Together” Report
DOWNLOAD
Have data that would help improve the Index? Get in touch
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State of Pet Homelessness Index
State of Pet Homelessness Index
The Index pulls together data on homeless cats and dogs in 9 countries from more than 200 global and local sources, boosted by quantitative research on widespread attitudes.
Each country receives an overall score between zero and 10 (where 10 = no pet homelessness exists) based on data collected across three focus areas. The Index currently includes nine countries – the U.S., U.K., India, Mexico, Germany, Russia, South Africa, China and Greece. More than just a measure of pet homelessness per country, the Index model was developed to account for country-specific context and challenges and helps identify key factors both positively and negatively impacting the issue.
The Index also reveals the most impactful underlying issues that have influenced the score in each country.
The Data
With the advice and guidance of experts from leading pet health and welfare organizations around the globe, more than 200 global and local data sources were reviewed and quantitative research was conducted to fill the gaps.
Data was collected based on three focus areas, which form a framework for understanding the key factors contributing to pet homelessness:
All Pets Wanted
Evaluating reproduction control programs (spay/neuter and responsible breeding practices), roaming and stray populations, disease prevention, and cultural attitudes towards pet ownership.
All Pets Cared For
Evaluating rates of shelter adoption and pet ownership, assessing shelter pain points, and access to veterinary care.
All Pets Welcome
Evaluating barriers to pet ownership and responsible pet ownership, as well as government support and policy.
The data captured metrics that directly or indirectly, impact pet homelessness – such as the “number and rate of pet adoption per capita,” for example – as well as wider societal factors, such as gross domestic product (GDP). We consulted with an array of industry experts to identify which data points to include in the Index.
Modelling the data
We prepared the data for analysis so it could be compared across geographies – such as by changing “total” metrics to “per capita.”
Using clustering algorithms, we then grouped countries to better understand the local nuances of the pet homelessness crisis, and the different solutions used to address it. This enabled us to group similar countries together, assigning weights to ensure they are compared fairly, taking into account these differences.
We then used unsupervised learning models to quantify patterns in the data and identify which of these metrics were most important and turned this into weights used to build the Index.
Building the State of Pet Homelessness Index
By multiplying these weights by the value of the metric, we were able to calculate the total contribution to the category and form a total score. These scores roll up to an overall score for each country, providing a view on each country’s progress on ending pet homelessness relative to other countries, while accounting for cultural nuances.
This modelling methodology can also be used in the future to gauge progress.
Want to know more or have data that would help improve the Index?
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