President Nayib Bukele has responded to international animal welfare expert Niall Harbison, signaling a major step toward creating a model program to protect street dogs and cats across Latin America.
President Bukele tweeted, “Let’s do this!” following Harbison’s proposal to collaborate with El Salvador on a public-private initiative to improve the care of street animals. Harbison highlighted his organization’s experience, noting that over the past two years, they have funded the sterilization of 130,000 dogs in Thailand, Bali, and Sri Lanka. His global mission is to reduce the street dog population from 500 million to 250 million through sterilization, legislative reform, and education.
Harbison emphasized the importance of speed, explaining that the initiative would rely on technology, private donations, and efficient operations. He expressed interest in traveling to El Salvador to meet with relevant authorities and stakeholders to establish a model program that could be replicated throughout Latin America.
President Bukele previously stated, “Thousands of dogs and cats live on our streets. We want to change that, but without cruelty. We have the financial resources, but we seek expert partners to make it a model for Latin America.”
This collaboration marks a potential breakthrough in animal welfare policy in the region, with El Salvador aiming to set a new standard for humane and sustainable street animal management.