Dog's Own Country

With the current spate of anti-stray or anti-pet rules and regulations in our country, it's no wonder animal lovers are seeking greener pastures, or simply drawing a comparison with other countries. It will obviously come as no surprise to you that India does not feature in the Top 10 pet-friendly destinations of the world. Perhaps, you might consider a trip to these 10 that do! And learn how and what makes them so. Take a look at some straightforward ones, others offbeat...

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The Netherlands is at the top, as it’s the only country without a stray (we mean, community animal) population. Due to a comprehensive, government-funded strategy that includes the Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (CNVR) programme, strict animal welfare laws, mandatory microchipping and registration, a heavy tax on buying to encourage adoption, and a specialised pet-police force to enforce these measures, the country’s pet population is content. In another effort, they have installed staircases for felines to climb out of the canals they get themselves into or for residents of the Catboat. Last issue, we wrote of the Cat Ark, the floating cat sanctuary in Amsterdam, one more reason for you and your furry one to visit.

Germany boasts of the largest animal shelter in Europe, with a strict no-kill policy for the animals and almost 90% of the abandoned and rescued animals being rehomed. Several parks and cafés, and most public places, are pet-friendly, with cats being the more preferred species over dogs.