Profile of Bangkok
Our first Beacon City is the vibrant, bustling city of Bangkok, where an incredible organisation is making a real difference. Soi Dog Foundation, which translates to ‘Street’ Dog Foundation, is collaborating with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to improve the lives of street dogs and cats.
At the helm of this initiative is the inspiring Deputy Governor of Bangkok, Dr Tavida Kamolvej, who oversees public health and safety. Her passion for animal welfare is truly moving.
In Bangkok’s neighbourhoods, you’ll often find street dogs cared for by the local community. Soi Dog works together with these compassionate residents to identify animals in need. They then bring the dogs to their mobile clinic, where they receive vital vaccinations against diseases and are sterilised to reduce the number of unwanted puppies.
Once the dogs are healthy, they’re returned to their familiar streets – back to the communities that know and love them.
But Soi Dog’s care doesn’t stop there. They recognised that abandonment of owned animals is also a source of street dogs. So they also provide sterilisation services for owned dogs who live unconfined and are therefore at risk of unwanted pregnancies, and whose owners are not able to access private veterinary care.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration supports these efforts in many ways, for example by providing Soi Dog with premises for their mobile clinics and using their networks and communication tools to reach more citizens and those animals in need.
supported by the Dogs Trust, the Soi Dog Foundation’s successful Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (CNVR) programme is now in its fourth phase in Bangkok. Since 2016, they have sterilised over 600,000 stray and roaming dogs, reducing the stray population by more than half. A recent survey shows Bangkok residents have noticed fewer stray dogs and welcome the reduction in problem behaviour and dog bites.
Profile of Cape Town
Our Beacon City of Cape Town is home to South Africa’s oldest animal welfare organisation, the Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or SPCA for short.
The SPCA has formed a brilliant partnership with the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. Leading this initiative is SPCA Chief Executive Moyo Ndukwana, and Alderman Jean Pierre Smith, Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security. Their collective dedication to animal welfare is truly remarkable.
In some areas of Cape Town, you’ll find many free-roaming dogs and cats on the streets. Most of these animals are owned, but their owners do not have the capacity to confine their animals or to access veterinary care for them. The SPCA is the project leader for City funded Mass Animal Sterilisation Projects and works closely with the community, encouraging pet owners to have their dogs and cats sterilised and vaccinated.
Recently, this work has become even more critical. A rabies outbreak in Cape Fur Seals has raised concerns about the potential spread to the city’s dog population and then to people. As a result, the SPCA’s vaccination efforts are now vital for protecting the health of the entire city.
Urban October’s theme this year, set by UN Habitat, is ‘Engaging Youth’. This fits brilliantly with the SPCA’s talent for getting young people excited about animal welfare. The SPCA has made amazing resources for children, helping them learn how to care for animals properly. The results are heartwarming. Eager youngsters are now bringing their pets to the mobile clinic for vaccinations, showing how well this approach is working. It’s clear that by teaching children early, the SPCA is creating a new generation of animal lovers who understand the importance of pet health.
This involvement doesn’t just lead to healthier animals – it’s nurturing a whole generation of responsible pet owners.
Profile of Ilfov County, Romania
lfov County, a beacon of progressive governance surrounding Romania’s capital, Bucharest, exemplifies how local leadership can drive meaningful change in animal welfare. Under the stewardship of County President Hubert Petru Ștefan Thuma, Ilfov has fostered an innovative partnership with the international animal welfare organisation Four Paws and several local partners, tackling the complex challenge of managing free-roaming dogs and cats. This collaboration unites practical solutions with active community involvement, setting a powerful example for sustainable change.
The local government has implemented a comprehensive vaccination and sterilisation programme that covers both owned and free-roaming animals, ensuring widespread access to essential veterinary care. These fundamental interventions, combined with community outreach, represent Ilfov’s strategic commitment to long-term population management through sustained prevention efforts.
At the heart of this approach is a dynamic engagement programme that reaches residents directly in their homes, at schools, community gatherings, and local sporting events, creating informal yet impactful opportunities to promote and enable responsible dog and cat ownership and behaviour around animals. Youth engagement has been particularly successful, with children emerging as passionate advocates for animal welfare and sharing these values with their families.
What sets Ilfov County apart is its holistic approach, recognising that sustainable change requires both practical interventions and cultural shifts. By integrating veterinary services with targeted education and community outreach, Ilfov is not only improving conditions for today’s animals but also fostering a future where responsible pet ownership is the norm. County President Thuma’s dedicated leadership underscores how political commitment can prioritise animal welfare, showing that with the right support, local governments can achieve truly transformative results.