South Africa’s pet sterilisation crisis:Let’s change the trajectory in celebration of World SpayDay

By Ezrah

In South Africa today, there’s a heartbreak playing out on our streets and in our shelters - a silent crisis of too many pets and not enough help. Experts estimate that around 4 million dogs and cats are living homeless across the country, struggling to survive without food, shelter or care. About 22 % of South Africa’s 18.6 million companion animals are without a home, and most unsterilised pets continue to reproduce rapidly, multiplying suffering and pressure on already overwhelmed shelters.

In many informal settlements, nearly 90 % of dogs and cats are unsterilised - meaning a small group of animals can lead to tens of thousands more in just a few years without action. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA, one of the country’s busiest animal welfare organisations, had to respond to 23 600+ stray or unwanted animals in one year alone - yet for every animal adopted, dozens more arrive.

This isn’t just about numbers - it’s about lives. Too many pets are born into pain on violent streets, face illness, injury, starvation, and end up in shelters with no room to care for them all. The result? Shelters are stretched thin, vets are overworked, and heartbreaking choices become everyday reality.

What’s missing? Empathy in Action

At the heart of this crisis is a simple truth: many people don’t have access to affordable sterilisation or haven’t yet been reached by humane education - learning why spay/neuter matters, how to care compassionately for animals, and how to be responsible pet guardians. These knowledge gaps aren’t just academic - they shape how communities interact with animals and with each other.

This is where our online Empathy in Action: Humane Education course becomes part of the solution. By sharing stories, lessons, and practical tools, we help shift attitudes - turning understanding into real-world action. Teaching people, young and old, why sterilisation helps animals, families, and communities can spark lasting compassion that goes beyond a single surgery.

How you can make a difference this World Spay Day:

In celebrating World Spay Day this February, we all have power to help. Make a commitment to take at least one action in order to become part of a movement that creates a society where people and animals matter.

1. Sterilise Your Own Pets

If your dog or cat isn’t spayed or neutered yet - make a plan to do it. Every sterilised pet helps stop unwanted litters before they begin.

2. Spread the Word

Talk to family, friends, neighbours, and on social media about why sterilisation matters. Share facts, not fear - and encourage humane care.

3. Support Local Welfare Groups

Donate time, food, blankets, or funds to organisations running sterilisation drives and education programmes. Donate toward sterilisation projects or sponsor a family to get their pet(s) spayed/neutered. Mobilise local businesses to take hands with animal welfare organisations. Every bit helps.

4. Adopt, Don’t Shop

If you’re ready for a pet, choose adoption. Give a homeless animal a loving home - you’ll save two lives: the one you adopt, and the one whose space you free in

the shelter.

5. Teach the Next Generation

Bring humane education into schools, youth groups, community centres, and online spaces. Start animal hero clubs in your community and get young people to volunteer at their local animal welfare organisation. Compassion grows when we teach it.

A vision of communities after the crisis is solved

Imagine a South Africa where:

• Healthy pets live in loving homes, not on the streets.

• Sterilisation and basic care are accessible to all, not only a few.

• Children learn kindness to animals early, and adults act responsibly without being asked.

• Shelters are places of joyful adoption, not places of impossible choices.

• Communities thrive together, with less disease, fewer strays, and more empathy in every neighbourhood.

This isn’t just a dream - it’s a future within reach if we act together, thoughtfully and with open hearts.

Let’s be the generation that changed things for good. This World Spay Day, take action beyond one day by joining our free online Empathy in Action: Humane Education course and help build a kinder, more responsible future for animals and communities. Together, we can do more.

Resources

More information on our online Empathy in Action: Humane Education course: https://ezrah.co.za/empathy-in-action-humane-education-online-course/ Excellent child-friendly humane education