Sterilisation, Not Culling: The Humane Answer to Dog Population Management
As cities and villages across the globe continue to grapple with the challenges of managing free-roaming dog populations, the debate often swings between two opposing approaches: sterilisation or culling. One is compassionate, scientifically proven, and sustainable. The other is reactionary, inhumane, and ultimately ineffective.
Recent events in countries like Turkey — where authorities announced plans to cull thousands of street dogs in 2024 — highlight the ongoing reliance on outdated strategies that fail to address the root cause of the issue. In stark contrast, regions that have invested in structured sterilisation programmes, such as Sikkim in India, show just how effective humane management can be.
The difference lies not just in ethics but in understanding dog behaviour and ecology.
The Problem with Culling
At first glance, mass culling might appear to be a quick fix. Remove the dogs, and the problem disappears — or so it seems. But free-roaming dogs are not simply wandering nuisances; they are territorial animals with social structures and patterns that have evolved over generations.
When a group of dogs is removed from an area, it creates what is known as the vacuum effect. New dogs from surrounding regions quickly move in to fill the space — often unsterilised, unvaccinated, and more likely to fight, breed, or spread disease. The cycle continues, with authorities locked in a perpetual loop of killing, without ever achieving long-term reduction.
What’s more, culling is often met with public backlash. Communities witness once-familiar animals being brutally removed. The emotional and ethical toll of this violence leaves scars not just on the dogs, but on society itself.
Why Sterilisation Works
Sterilisation, particularly when implemented on a large scale and alongside vaccination, is the only proven method to reduce and stabilise free-roaming dog populations over time. When sterilised dogs are allowed to remain in their territory, they prevent new dogs from entering, stop further breeding, and generally become calmer and less aggressive.
This territorial stability is a key reason why culling fails — and why sterilisation succeeds.
The International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) Coalition has developed a globally respected framework for humane dog population management. Their model encourages mass sterilisation and vaccination combined with public education, waste management, and community involvement.
A Model of Success: Sikkim, India
Sikkim, a small Himalayan state in India, stands as a beacon of what’s possible when science and compassion guide policy. Supported by organisations like Vets Beyond Borders, Sikkim became the first Indian state to fully commit to an Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. The results were striking. Rabies cases declined. Dog bites reduced significantly. Street dog populations began to stabilise.
Perhaps most importantly, the community backed the programme — seeing the benefits not just for the animals, but for public health and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, in Turkey…
While places like Sikkim have embraced humane solutions, others continue to take steps backward. In 2024, Turkey’s government faced criticism after proposing mass culling of its street dogs, sparking outrage among animal welfare groups. Rather than investing in sterilisation and vaccination programmes, the state has opted for a strategy that history and science both show will fail.
These actions do not just end lives; they undermine long-term progress and alienate communities from the very systems meant to protect them.
Toward a Humane Future
The evidence is clear. Culling is not only ethically wrong — it simply doesn’t work. Sterilisation, backed by education, data, and community collaboration, is the only strategy that delivers sustainable results.
Countries and organisations must now choose: repeat the same ineffective cycles of violence, or follow proven, humane methods that protect both people and animals.
It’s time to break the cycle.
It’s time to sterilise, not kill.
