The HSI presentations, reports and published papers provide examples of how monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment (MEIA) informs our dog and cat welfare and population management work. Each report and paper is available online as a downloadable PDF. Useful mobile applications are listed as possible resources to help others with their data-driven programs.

Presentations

Street Smart: How Technology and Data Analytics Help Improve Street Animal Management, Animal Care Expo, 2024

• Introduction to Dog Population Management. (at 5:25) Katherine Polak, DVM, Vice President, Companion Animals & Engagement, Humane Society International.
• Why do most spay/neuter programs fail? How to develop an effective and sustainable program by using data and technology. (at 29:15) Amit Chaudhari, DVM, Director, MEIA, Humane Society International.
• Case study from India: Using data to improve the implementation of street dog programs. Keren Nazareth, Director, Companion Animals & Engagement, Humane Society International/India.

• Free-Roaming Dogs: A Global Challenge, Best Practices Worldwide, and the Science of Population Management, April 2025, Amit Chaudhari, DVM, Director, MEIA, Humane Society International.

Reports

• Dog & Cat Population Survey with Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Assessment Survey at Several Urban and Rural Locations of Costa Rica, 2022
• Sondeo de Poblaciones de Perros y Gatos con una Evaluación de Conocimientos, Actitudes y Prácticas en varias localidades urbanas y rurales de Costa Rica, 2022
• Aguascalientes Municipality, Mexico: Dog and cat population survey, 2022
• Municipio de Aguascalientes, México: sondeo sobre la población canina y felina, 2022
• Owned Dog, Beach Dog and Street Dog Population Surveys, Flacq District Dog Management Programme, Mauritius, 2018-2021
• Dog Population Assessment in Five Towns in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago and Valparaíso Regions in Chile, 2020
• Dog and Cat Population Assessment in the Urban Districts of La Paz, Bolivia, 2019
• Street Dog, Private Dog Population and KAP Survey in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat, 2019
• Bhutan: National Street Dog Monitoring and Evaluation Survey and KAP Survey, 2018
• Owned Dog Population and Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) Survey Report for Machakos County, Kenya, 2017
• Survey of the Owned Dog Population in District II of Quezon City, Philippines, 2016

Papers

• Technology for Improving Street Dog Welfare and Capturing Data in Digital Format during Street Dog Sterilisation Programmes (2022)
• Seasonal Patterns of Oestrus and Reproduction in Street Dogs of Indian Cities (2022)
• Dog Ecology and Demographics in Several Areas in the Philippines and Its Application to Anti-Rabies Vaccination Programs (2022)

Useful Mobile Applications

• • Talea
    For street surveys of roaming dogs and cats, Talea has two parts: an online tool for designing your survey and accessing your data and an app for data collection. It is only available for Android devices. The working language for Talea web is English, however, one can choose from a selection of languages on the app. Talea is offered by the International Companion Animal Management coalition.
  • GARC App
    The Global Alliance for Rabies Control offers a suite of surveillance tools for rabies control/elimination programs; most are accessible within the GARC App. The App works online and offline on multiple platforms and devices.
  • CyberTracker
    For wildlife, CyberTracker is an efficient method of GPS field data collection. It can be used on a smartphone or mobile device to record any type of observation. It requires no programming skills and allows customization for an application for tailored data collection needs. It enables users with no GIS skills to view and analyze their data in tables, maps and graphs on a Windows PC.
  • Kobo Toolbox
    For disaster relief efforts and other purposes, Kobo Toolbox technology platform works online and offline, using mobile phones, tablets, or computers, through apps or web-based interface, making it useful for conditions with limited connectivity. The platform offers the ability to share links and record location.
  • Epicollect5
    For specific data collection, this platform is useful for designing simple to complex questionnaire forms. Projects are created by using the web application then downloaded to a device to perform the data collection.
  • Google forms
    For creating and sharing online forms and surveys, Google forms is easy to use and design. Shareable links can be sent to individuals to fill in a form and responses can be analyzed in real-time.