Companion animals have become an integral part of human life, and we do not think about their usefulness. ACT Kazakhstan tried to identify if many people kept dogs, cats, and other companion animals and what their benefit is for their holders. The survey showed that more than half of the respondents (56%) kept companion animals. Out of those, who kept companion animals, 64% preferred cats, 63% – dogs, 10% – birds. About 5% of the respondents kept exotic animals: turtles, lizards, snakes, snails, spiders, hedgehogs, guinea pigs.

The way the current holders obtained their pets:

– Bought – 47%

– Received as a present – 28%

– Picked up in the street – 25%

– Took from their friends/relatives/familiars – 10%

– Took from an animal shelter – 4%

Every fifth resident of Almaty who did not have a companion animal expressed a desire to have one within one year. During the survey, we asked about the influence of companion animals on people and the living conditions of companion animals.

We received the following answers to the proposed statements:

– 84% of the respondents believed that companion animals improved the emotional state of their holders

– 82% of the respondents believed that the presence of a companion animal at home helped fostering children (developing such features as kindness, responsibility, mercy)

– 71% of the respondents believed that companion animals had a positive impact on the health of their holders

– 68% noted that living in a flat did not allow them to hold companion animals since a private house would be a better place for them

– every second respondent (49%) considered it expensive to hold a pet

– 2/3 of the respondents agreed that there were many homeless animals on the streets of Almaty (43% – very many, 32% – rather many).

Most of the respondents (58%) did not care for homeless animals (34% responded they had a neutral attitude and did not participate in taking care for homeless animals, 24% were only feeling empathy). Among the Almaty residents who took care of homeless animals: 43% gave them food, 2% made charitable contributions for the rescue, treatment, and socialization of homeless animals, 2% helped to spread information (e.g., in social media) about taking care of homeless animals, 1% were volunteers taking care of homeless animals. The survey covered the issue of the need to control the population of homeless animals in the city – 1% of the respondents thought that their population needed no control. 

The respondents who voted for control over the population of homeless animals proposed the following measures:

– To place them in shelters/nurseries – 49%

– To castrate them – 26%

– To catch them and release outside the city – 5%

– To euthanize them – 5%

— To conduct educational work among people – 2%

The survey was conducted in March 2018 among the population of the city of Almaty on a sample representing the city population. The survey was conducted in the form of a personal interview. The sample size was 404 respondents. The sampling error does not exceed 4.9%, CI = 95%. The use of survey materials is permitted with the obligatory mention of the author of the survey.