Free-roaming Dogs and Poor Management: a Case Study from Apulia in Italy

Stray dogs are often seen as an urban issue: abandoned animals living on the outskirts of cities, invisible and forgotten. But there is a lesser-known, more complex reality rooted in rural cultural and social dynamics: that of the free-roaming farm dogs.

The Invisible Face of Stray Dogs: Farm Dogs Roaming Freely

In the province of Foggia, as in many parts of Southern Italy, there exists a situation that escapes official statistics and institutional supervision: dogs allowed to roam freely by farmers or breeders, often without microchips, without veterinary oversight, and often unneutered, leading to uncontrolled reproduction. This negligent, if not entirely absent, management has devastating consequences not only for the animals but for the entire social and economic ecosystem.

The Consequences of Mismanagement: A Chain Reaction of Harm

Based on an analysis carried out by the staff of the LNDC Animal Protection Vieste association, free-roaming farm dogs generate a cascade of negative effects that impact the whole community:

• Sick and untreated dogs, injured or mutilated.
• Uncontrolled litters from unchipped animals, contributing to stray populations growth.
• Roaming packs preying on wildlife and livestock, especially during female heat cycles.
• Genetic hybridization among working breeds, hunting dogs, and strays.
• Increased risk of road traffic accidents.
• Rising public costs for municipalities and local health authorities (AUSL) due to the need to catch and manage free-roaming dogs, whereas, for institutional mismanagement, they are handled using applying stray dog protocols.

But the issue doesn’t stop there. Overcrowded shelters, often run by opaque organizations, can become fertile ground for criminal activity: places to launder money, hide weapons, or organize illegal dog fights.

An Alarming Picture: The Numbers of Stray Dogs in Apulia

The 2022 LAV report is clear: over €21 million a year are spent by the Apulia Region to address the stray dog issue. Yet the number of stray dogs does not decrease, shelters are full, and dogs still roam the streets. How is this possible?

Because who are actually “free-roaming” are being mismanaged as “stray”: owned dogs allowed to roam freely are considered stray by institutions simply because they lack a microchip. This distorted approach shifts the economic and organizational burden onto the community, while those directly responsible remain unpunished.

Moreover, many municipalities are still failing to comply with Regional Law 2/2020, which imposes specific obligations on dog registration, control, intervention, and care. The absence of concrete penalties thwarts even the best intentions.

Who Ends Up in Shelters? A Portrait to Reflect On

In the province of Foggia, the types of dogs found in public shelters speak volumes:

• 70–75% shepherd dogs and mixed-breed working dogs, like Maremmano dogs;
• 10% hunting dogs and their crosses: these are dogs mostly owned by poachers, who deliberately keep them unchipped to avoid detection by enforcement officers;
• 10–15% Molossers and Bull type terriers (especially in urban centres like Foggia, Cerignola, San Severo);
• 5% home litters, often unwanted and abandoned.

This composition is no coincidence. It reflects a poor culture of prevention and the spread of illegal or irresponsible practices related to breeding, hunting, and the idea of dogs as tools to use, rather than as a species to live alongside with ethical respect and legal responsibility.

Sterilization and Adoption: Necessary but Not Enough

Too often, people think that dog adoption or increased sterilizations are the solution. While essential, these measures address the effects, not the root causes. Unless political and institutional bodies acknowledge the problem of irresponsible ownership, these actions will remain mere stopgaps.

How to Act? Some Concrete Proposals

My Zero Cani in Canile project (“Zero Dogs in Shelters”), launched a few years ago, remains as relevant as ever. It is based on a multi-level approach:

1. Dedicated law enforcement task forces to monitor dogs in rural areas, illegal litters, dogs abandoned by poachers, and unauthorized shelters/breeders.
2. Targeted training for law enforcement and public institutions.
3. Public information campaigns to explain the connection between legality and animal welfare.
4. Civic education in schools including the teaching of the value of the human–animal relationship, as provided by the new ministerial guidelines.

A Cultural Paradigm Shift: From Dog as Property to Dog as Citizen

As long as dogs are treated solely as work tools or secondary presences in rural settings, the problem will persist. A shift in collective mentality is needed, one that recognizes dogs as individuals with rights and needs.

The fight against stray dog overpopulation is not an “animal rights” battle. It is an issue of public safety, economic sustainability, and legality. And it is the responsibility of all of us, institutions, citizens, educators, to face it with awareness.

Again, the issue of free-roaming dogs is not about dogs. It is about legality.
And that is where we must begin again.

Featured image:

Photo by
Mohan Vamsi Somireddi on Unsplash