On 19 July, the Reference Network reported that many Governments around the world had paid little attention to the abandonment of domestic pets. But there are exceptions, such as the Netherlands, which was one of the pioneer countries committed to making the world aware of the problem. In recent days, the Netherlands has brought surprise to us with a set of utopian dreams: it became the first country without stray dogs.
According to the Spanish Herald website, on 17 July, this was in fact the result of years of efforts by the Government of the Netherlands. In the nineteenth century, the Netherlands was the European country with the largest number of dogs, which led to a worrying outbreak of rabies, one of the leading causes of death in the Netherlands, combined with inadequate sanitation at that time. Fear of a potential epidemic has led Dutch people to abandon their pets.
In recent years, there has been a tendency to abandon unpurified dogs. The proliferation of stray animals in the streets to alarming levels had finally led the Dutch Government to decide to tackle the problem. The Government covered the cost of pet sterilization and organized a large-scale pet sterilization campaign, which was free of charge.
In addition, the Government of the Netherlands has enacted the most stringent legislation in Europe, which imposes a maximum fine of Euro16,000 on those who abandon animals or abuse them, and even in extreme cases imprisonment for three years.
One of the most important measures reported was the imposition of heavy taxes on buyers of pure pet dogs. This measure discourages the trading of pets and encourages those who really want their company. The measures of the Government of the Netherlands have been successful and have served as a model for the world today.