We’re creating a better world for all dogs

Dogs deserve to live safe, healthy lives wherever they are in the world. That’s why we work internationally, as well as across the UK and Ireland. Our love for dogs knows no borders. Throughout the world, we help improve dog welfare through veterinary care, education, vaccination programmes and long-term partnerships.  

Together with our sister charity, ​​Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), local communities and global partners, we’re working to tackle the root cause of suffering and create lasting change for dogs around the world.  

We work across Europe, Africa and Asia, through multiple programmes that combine to deliver better lives for dogs and their communities.

Preventing rabies and saving lives

Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease. Tragically, it still kills 59,000 people around the world every year, 40% of which are children. Over 99% of all cases are caused by an infected dog bite – and every year, millions of healthy dogs are killed because of fear that they may be carrying the disease.

Mass dog vaccination programmes are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of rabies, and rebuild the relationship between dogs and people. Through Mission Rabies and WVS, we help vaccinate dogs and educate communities about the disease. We want to contribute to a 50% reduction in global human deaths from rabies, preventing 25,000 human deaths annually and protecting millions of dogs.  

Learn more about Mission Rabies and Worldwide Veterinary Service.

In many countries around the world, free-roaming dogs are a significant problem. Uncontrolled breeding means puppies are abandoned to grow up on the streets. Many of these dogs are cared for by the community, but they don’t always get treatment when they’re ill or injured.

To tackle this, we run mass Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) programmes. In places as diverse as ​​Bosnia, India, Malawi and Thailand, ​​our trained veterinary teams humanely capture free-roaming dogs, take them to our mobile and stationary clinics, and provide them with health checks, emergency care, vaccinations and neutering. Then the dogs are safely returned to their communities.

Our programmes not only prevent uncontrolled population growth, they also improve dogs’ long-term health and welfare. Last year alone, we neutered 36,000+ animals through humane population management programmes.

Veterinary training and capacity building

Access to veterinary care can be limited in many parts of the world. That’s why we work with WVS to help train vets and strengthen local systems across the globe. By building the number of expert vets worldwide, we can help bring essential treatment, vaccinations, and welfare support to dogs when they need it, wherever they are.  

WVS runs ​three International Training Centres in India and Thailand, where vets and veterinary students can d​​evelop surgery skills and learn best practice in animal welfare. And through the online WVS Academy, they can keep up with the latest thinking and research across a broad range of subjects.  

Training is designed to build long-term local expertise, helping communities continue improving animal welfare long after the programmes end. In 2025, we treated 138,000+ animals through our veterinary care programmes and trained over 5,000 vets. 

Learn more about veterinary training opportunities.

Community ​education and engagement  

We have always seen our international work as an area where we solve problems and leave a strong legacy, equipping local communities to continue our work.  

That’s why we work alongside communities to develop their knowledge and confidence, and deliver practical solutions. Our education programmes engage schools, local organisations and wider communities to boost knowledge around dog welfare, rabies prevention and responsible dog ownership.  

As just one example, after being bitten by a dog, one young student remembered what they had learned during a Mission Rabies education session. Instead of staying quiet or ignoring the injury, they told an adult straight away and were taken to receive urgent medical care. That knowledge may have saved their life. By reaching children with life-saving knowledge, we are helping to protect not just individuals, but entire communities – one lesson at a time.  

Across the globe, we’re supporting dogs and communities through rehoming, veterinary support, education and welfare programmes. 

Ireland

As Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, ​​Dogs Trust Ireland plays a vital role in improving the lives of dogs. We campaign, lobby and run education work in every county in Ireland. We work with communities across the country to inspire and motivate people to take action for dog welfare. And our​​ Dublin-based rehoming centre finds happy homes for hundreds of dogs every year.   

Bosnia and Herzegovina

We started working in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012: at that time there were 11,000 stray dogs living on the streets of Sarajevo. Since then, we’ve worked in partnership with local authorities on initiatives including mass neutering campaigns, a vet training programme, responsible dog ownership education, fostering, adoption, and dog training. We’ve helped neuter over 100,000 dogs, trained over 500 vets, and reached over 400,000 children with dog safety education. 

USA

Our affiliate organisation, Dogs Trust USA was launched in 2018 to help tackle the biggest issues in dog welfare across the U.S. and around the globe. In the US alone, 20 million pets live in poverty or with limited resources, and many owners struggle with the costs of veterinary care. ​Since 2018, we’ve supported 64 projects across 23 US states, including a targeted spay/neuter programme to help target the issue of overpopulation: 10,545 dogs were sterilised by local partners between 2018 and 2024. We’re also improving access to quality vet care, and working to help eliminate rabies around the world.