Scots vets’ app will help the world’s stray dogs

A team of vets have developed a smart phone app to improve care for the millions of stray dogs around the world.

Created at the University of Edinburgh, the app has been trialled in Asia and Africa.

Researchers say there are around 200 million street dogs across the world with many put through so-called “catch-neuterreturn”, a common public health strategy in countries with high numbers of strays.

During the process, stray dogs are taken in by local animal clinics and sterilised before being released but vets believe the welfare of individual dogs can be overlooked during capture, transport or surgery. The new app will support staff to monitor welfare, spot signs of distress and develop strategies to improve care.