"Lajka" caught 172 stray dogs in Skopje in September - 105 were released back onto the streets where they were found

During September, Skopje's public enterprise "Lajka", which handles the city's stray dogs, caught 172 stray dogs. 124 were spayed or neutered, 44 were adopted, and 105 were returned to the spot where they had been caught.

Most dogs were caught in Butel, 39, followed by Kisela Voda with 29, Aerodrom 25, Karposh 24 and Centar 23. In Gazi Baba 18 were caught, in Gjorche Petrov 15, and in Chair just two. The enterprise says every captured dog gets a veterinary check and, depending on its condition, treatment, spaying or neutering, a rabies vaccination, microchipping and identification.

The month stood out for two reasons. For the first time, four catching crews worked in the field, on extended hours from 5 am to 8 pm. Ahead of the Skopje Marathon and the "White Night" festival, the crews preventively collected dogs from the city centre and along the marathon route and kept them temporarily at the shelter.

The adoptions are the best part of the tally. Of the 44 dogs adopted, 14 had spent years at "Lajka". For them it's the end of a long wait; for the city, a reminder that adoption is more than a slogan.

But 105 dogs put back on the street means the catch-neuter-release model is still the main answer to the problem. "Lajka" itself warns that every abandoned, unneutered dog on the street produces new generations of homeless animals. How many years will it take for the streets to actually empty - and how many of those dogs once had an owner who simply dumped them?