New hope for stray dogs as volunteers trace owners

29 December, 2007, 09:39

Eight out of ten stray dogs have been lost by their owners, or simply dumped. Loosing a pet can be a massive trauma. That's why a group of volunteers in central Russia is making every effort to reunite pet owners with their missing furry friends.

The group was set up by Olga and Dmitry following a 10-day nightmare when their ridgeback Shelly disappeared.  

Olga says their work is much more than just re-uniting pets and owners.

“The problem of stray dogs is really sharp nowadays. Eight dogs out of ten are lost or thrown away by their owners. So, only two out of ten were born on the streets. And by returning dogs to their owners we can help to solve the issue,” she says.  

The local community has become involved too. With so many abandoned and stray dogs on the streets, the volunteers try to encourage people to adopt.