Kosovo faces a significant stray dog problem, with large numbers of dogs living on the streets in poor conditions. This issue stems from uncontrolled breeding, abandonment, and inadequate animal welfare systems. Stray dogs often struggle with hunger, disease, and harsh weather, and their presence has raised public health and safety concerns. In the past, Kosovo has tried several methods ranging from mass-culling to mass-sheltering, but all have proven not to offer a sustainable, nor humane solution. Hundreds of dogs are still born into immense hardships, and the capital city Prishtina alone is home to over 3,000 stray dogs.

The country has applied very inconsistent dog population management (DPM) activities over the last years and is now facing a fast-increasing stray population. When at the end of 2022 a new national strategy was launched to control the stray dog population, including a proposed by-law that allowed the killing of healthy, non-aggressive dogs after a 14-day holding period in a shelter, many local activists and NGOs came into action, and FOUR PAWS joined these efforts. Thanks to several joint initiatives, the ministry could be convinced to first block and then amend the by-law in the first half in 2023: a first step towards a brighter future for stray dogs in Kosovo.

However, the situation more than ever demanded urgent attention and assistance. Therefore, FOUR PAWS decided to follow-up our efforts for stray dogs: from lobbying with national and municipal authorities to establishing reliable partnerships with local NGOs, as well as partnering with local veterinary clinics to directly sterilise, vaccinate and treat stray dogs in need of help.

Together with local partner Animal Rights Foundation Kosovo, FOUR PAWS has conducted Kosovo’s first-ever nationwide street dog population survey. Conducted between June 2024 and May 2025, the survey covered all 38 municipalities of Kosovo, making it the first comprehensive national street dog survey in Europe and only the third of its kind globally. Trained field teams, including local volunteers, used standardised street-based observation methods, mobile data collection tools, and GPS mapping to gather thousands of observations. Over 2,500 kilometres of roads were surveyed, resulting in the most accurate picture to date of Kosovo’s street dog population.

The primary purpose of this national street dog survey is to provide FOUR PAWS and Kosovo’s institutions with a clear, data-driven baseline understanding to develop humane and sustainable street dog population management. FOUR PAWS advocates: proactive, long-term solutions must replace reactive, short-term measures. Prevention, community engagement, and compassionate, humane treatment are the way forward.

Read the full report ‘Kosovo National Street Dog Population Survey’ here: