A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house.[1][2] Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million,[3][4] of which around 20% are regarded as owned pets and therefore restrained.[5]
Free-ranging dogs are common in developing countries. It is estimated that there are about 62 million free-ranging dogs in India.[6] In Western countries free-ranging dogs are rare; in Europe they are primarily found in parts of Eastern Europe, and, to a lesser extent, in parts of Southern Europe. Free-ranging dogs pose concerns about the spread of rabies, especially in regions of the world where the disease is endemic. Different policies exist around the world with regard to the management of free-ranging dogs, including trap–neuter–return, the permanent removal of dogs from the streets and their indefinite housing in animal shelters, their (national or international) adoption, or their euthanasia. Policies regarding stray dogs have been the object of ongoing controversy in recent decades. State governments, animal rights organizations, veterinarians and NGOs have been involved in managing free-ranging dogs around the world.
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