Kenya has no system to track lost pets despite rising cases, vets say

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Kenya has no centralised register for lost dogs and cats, experts say. [File,Standard]

Kenya has no centralised register for lost dogs and cats even as veterinary clinics and animal welfare groups report a steady rise in missing pet cases, industry professionals say.

Families increasingly turn to social media, clinics and community groups to search for missing animals, but no national body collects data on how many pets go missing each year. Veterinary professionals say the gap has made it harder to gauge the true scale of the problem or measure the risks pets face once lost, including road accidents, disease, theft and poisoning.

Rescue organisations and welfare groups say most disappearances trace back to preventable lapses, among them unsecured gates, pets slipping leashes, panic triggered by fireworks or thunderstorms, and unsterilized animals roaming on instinct.