Dogs have famously coined the title of “Man’s Best Friend,” but what happens when that relationship isn’t reciprocal? The increasing amount of stray animals is a growing problem around the world, but impoverished countries suffer the most due to a lack of resources. Several countries in Asia are particularly affected by these climbing populations, with a recent study from Humane World showing that more than 300 million dogs live on the street. The non-profit Lets Save the Strays is here to change that.

Lets Save the Strays is an international non-profit consisting of about 100 volunteers that work to humanely control stray dog populations, primarily active in Asian countries. While they provide their services in Russia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, the organization has local roots. The organization was founded by Wayland resident and veterinarian Amy Shroff in 2022.

Shroff knew she wanted to help animals from a young age. Her father was born in Mumbai, India, and visits with her dad’s side of the family opened Shroff’s eyes to the struggles of the stray dog world, something she hadn’t been exposed to growing up in New England. This further fueled her desire to help animals and compelled her to open a specialty vet practice, now known as Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialist, in Waltham. While Shroff enjoyed her work in the United States,a bit of her heart was still in India, itching to help the abandoned stray dogs.

“We are fortunate to be able to give the level of care that all animals deserve here in the United States,” Shroff said. “In certain parts of the world though, some of these animals have literally nobody.”

Shroff’s desire to aid neglected animals initially prompted her to partake in a variety of volunteer organizations, but she didn’t plunge into the world of nonprofits until her father passed away in 2013. Following his death, she sold her practice and decided to pour herself into volunteer work, participating in an assortment of opportunities in the area. She remained relatively local, until she visited Thailand for the one year anniversary of her father’s death, where she fell in love with the elephant rescue and rehabilitation center, Elephant Nature Park. She spent a fair amount of her time volunteering with this organization, and it was there in Thailand where she discovered the heart of Let’s Save the Strays: The Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release (TNVR) method.

A single dog can give rise to 67,000 puppies in its lifetime, which means areas with little infrastructure and resources can have stray populations spiraling out of control in the blink of an eye. This overpopulation puts locals in desperate situations which can lead to people intentionally poisoning and euthanizing street dogs in order to control the population.

“It’s not that the people hate animals and want them all killed,” Shroff said. “People are scared, and then rabies is rampant, so nobody wants their child bit.”

The TNVR method offers a solution to this by ridding dogs of contagious diseases and reducing their number of offspring in a way that doesn’t harm any animals. TNVR is a method designed to humanely prevent stray overpopulation in areas with an abundance of street dogs. The team at Lets Save the Strays works with locals to gather these animals, safely sterilize them, vaccinate them for any rampant dog-borne diseases in the area and then release them back onto the street. The key principle of this method is to prevent overpopulation humanely while benefiting the animals’ quality of life.

Shroff and her team educate veterinarians in the areas they serve on the steps of TNVR, teaching them how to spay or neuter the animal sterilely, on top of administering vaccines and any additional procedures needed to ensure the animals’ health.

This method has received backlash because it doesn’t result in strays getting a forever home, but adoption typically requires the integration of a shelter system, which is far from ideal. In a perfect world, dogs would have a temporary stay in the shelter and then quickly find an owner, but that is not reality. According to a Rocky Kanaka article, about 10-20% of 2023 shelter animals were never adopted, forcing them down a path that typically ends with euthanasia.

“Dogs are not supposed to live in shelters their whole life,” senior and Co-President of Lend A Paw Bianca Crosby-Bernal said.

Some dogs might not be euthanized, but they still spend the duration of their life trapped in a kennel. Prolonged experience in certain shelter systems can be like torture to dogs, especially in underprivileged communities where dogs are malnourished and lack connections with other dogs.

“In parts of Asia, shelters end up becoming these prisons where you are fed rice once a day, and you’re constantly fighting,” Shroff said.

The TNVR method inhibits stray populations in a humane way that does not subject dogs to a life of imprisonment. The dogs can then continue to live the street life they have been accustomed to, but in a safe and healthy way that doesn’t crowd the city and infect its people.

“It’s not the Disney World for dogs, but is it better than living in a prison,” Shroff said. “I’ve seen [stray dogs that have gone through the TNVR process] and they’re happy.”

TNVR would not be effective without collaboration with the local people. Besides the fact that Shroff and her team don’t have veterinary licenses in the foreign countries they serve, a team of 100 or so volunteers is not enough to enact lasting change. The most cardinal goal of Let’s Save The Strays is to give the locals the tools they need to handle the strays, so that they can continue the work by themselves. Shroff compared these efforts to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu’s quote, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Teaching local veterinarians sterile techniques and giving them much needed tools gives them the ability to grow the cause on their own.

“It’s the local people that do this work,” Shroff said. “It’s just about being the wind underneath their wings.”

Having these endeavors run by locals not only ensures the survival of the organization, but also increases the amount of community support. Typically, people are more likely to trust those they are comfortable with, so by having familiar faces as the backbone of these activities, locals can be more inclined to assist.

“People feel comfortable and confident dealing with their own people,” Shroff said. “I think that if it were only foreigners doing this, it wouldn’t have the same traction.”

Shroff recently visited Myanmar for two weeks to observe how the locals have developed the TVNR method. She watched them come together, as street feeders lead the animals to veterinarians, who were able to successfully treat the dogs by themselves.

“I was personally impressed by just how quickly it’s grown,” Shroff said. “The only way [the organization] survives is if [the locals] grow it.”

The work being done by Lets Save the Strays is even more challenging when paired with the fact that Myanmar is currently in the longest civil war in its history. This war began in 2021 and, according to the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance there have been 52,720 deaths, with about 17% being civilian mortalities.

“It’s the longest civil war in the world but nobody really talks about it,” Shroff said.

Lets Save the Strays does not directly work in frontline areas, but, like most wars, the effects of the civil war span out over the country and create unprecedented struggles for all inhabitants. One particular difficulty Shroff and her team face directly is the frequent power outages that occur throughout Myanmar due to a military coup. One of their most prominent goals for the organization this year is to receive more generators because unexpected power outages make it exceedingly difficult to give demonstrations and perform safe procedures.

“We really need generators for the office spaces,” Shroff said. “There’s been power cuts and fuel shortages; it’s really a mess.”

Regardless of all the challenges and dangers they are facing, the Burmese people in Myanmar are still trying to help the strays and they are not the only ones. Locals in all areas that Let’s Save the Strays works in support Shroff and her organization by using their time to round up stray dogs, but some additionally contribute their own money to the cause.

“These are poor, poor areas that we’re working in and yet people donate out of their own pocket,” Shroff said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

On top of donations, street feeders in the area will pour their time, energy and money into prepping feeding plans for stray dogs. Some of these people don’t know when they’ll get their next meal, and yet they still act on their concern for the dog’s hunger.

“They’ll make all of this food and they’ll bring it to feed these animals every day, sometimes even twice a day,” Shroff said. “The level of dedication is unbelievable.”

Typically, when people lack stability or safety, it’s difficult to put other causes before yourself. This expectation has been turned upside down through these peoples donations and work to help the strays. The Burmese people in Myanmar are some of the poorest people in the world yet they are still devoting their time and energy into this cause.

“I think it’s their grace and humility, as well as their enthusiasm and dedication that just blows my mind,” Shroff said.

It also puts into perspective how people in the U.S. approach donations to the locally run non-profits like this one. According to Shroff, Myanmar is the poorest country in Asia, but is also among the top 5 most charitable countries in the world. The United States on the other hand is one of the richest countries in the world, yet according to the Charities Aid Foundation, ranks below Myanmar when it comes to most charitable countries.

“What gets me about the U.S. is we have the resources here,” Shroff said. “We have the resources to do better.”

This reality check hits even harder when we look at our community in particular. While, according to Massachusetts Demographics, Wayland is the 12th wealthiest town in Massachusetts, the Burmese in Myanmar donate more frequently to Let’s Save The Strays than our community does.

95% of every dollar donated goes directly to the animals due to the condensed and charitable nature of the organization. Most of its fundraisers ask for about $20 which is the price to put one dog through the TVNR process.

“Everyone in Wayland could donate 20 bucks; that’s three Starbucks drinks,” Shroff said.

When put into perspective, this is a price that might not seem particularly strenuous to some people in Wayland. This comparison doesn’t mean there should be shame for buying things you enjoy, but these statistics are important to keep in mind when living in a privileged, close knit community. Reflecting on how much a 20 dollar donation would impact a bank account vs. how much it would impact a dog’s life is something to consider, especially because Lets Save the Strays couldn’t function without this funding.

“[Fundraising] is so important and it raises awareness that the dogs need,” seniorand Co-President of Lend a Paw Nina Eyerman said.

This donation doesn’t just affect one dog either; It sets off a domino effect that can benefit entire nations. The term ‘One Health’ refers to the ecological relationship between humans and animals, emphasizing the fact that human’s benefit from animal health initiatives, even if it doesn’t directly affect them.

This concept is directly reflected through the work of Let’s Save The Strays. While they may be primarily focused on treating stray dogs, by ridding these animals of sickness they reduce the chance of interspecific spread of disease. This has a direct impact on the number of people afflicted with canine transferable diseases like rabies and parvo, improving the overall health of communities.

“We’re helping people by helping animals,” Shroff said. “It’s such a win-win.”

Maintaining these populations in a humane way also contributes heavily to the ‘One Health’ mindset. Stray dogs and people in these communities have an important symbiotic relationship. Strays clean up the streets and offer protection and humans will feed them in turn, creating a positive feedback loop that keeps both species’ communities happy and healthy.

The collaborative relationships between the strays, the people and this organization contributes to a brighter future for these communities. By learning and working together, these communities have begun the journey to lasting change.

“Between all these different groups, we’re really starting to make a difference.” Shroff said. “That’s the beauty of this, we really are starting to see the change.”

Fundraiser information for Lets Save the Strays can be found here.