EPISODE 01
When Pets Become Strays
Where the story begins: how domestic pets can become part of a growing population of free-roaming animals, and why the visible stray is only one part of a larger issue.
Listen on Substack ↗Digital Advocacy Project · Philippines
THE STRAY
IMPACT
Understanding the impact beyond the stray.
Scroll to explore ↓
Animals · People · Communities · Ecosystems
The issue
We see the stray.
What happens beyond it?
Pet overpopulation occurs when domestic animal populations exceed a community's capacity to provide enough homes, care, shelter, and resources.
In the Philippines, growing populations of free-roaming dogs and cats can affect the communities and environments around them. The Stray Impact looks beyond the individual animal to understand the wider system behind the issue.
“The stray we see is often the result of what happened before we saw it.”
This project explores how pet overpopulation connects animals, people, communities, and Philippine ecosystems.
Beyond the Stray
A five-part audio story.
Start with the visible problem, then follow the impact outward.
EPISODE 02
How Did We Get Here?
The causes behind pet overpopulation and how individual choices and community conditions can contribute to a growing stray population.
Coming next
EPISODE 03
It's Bigger Than the Stray Animals
The ecological impact: wildlife, food webs, waste, and the environments shared by domestic animals and native species.
Coming next
EPISODE 04
Strays Are Also a Public Health Issue
How free-roaming animal populations intersect with public health and the communities where people and animals live together.
Coming next
EPISODE 05
What Can We Actually Do?
Practical actions and responsible pet ownership that can help address the problem at its roots.
Coming next
The lens
The impact doesn't stop at the street.
The project follows the issue across four connected areas.
01
Animals
Free-roaming domestic animals and the conditions that allow populations to grow.
02
People
Public health, daily life, and the shared spaces where communities and animals interact.
03
Ecosystems
Wildlife interactions, food webs, waste, and the ecological systems affected by growing stray populations.
Start here
See the stray.
Then look beyond it.
Research & references
The research behind the story.
The advocacy project is grounded in research and Philippine sources used throughout the concept map and podcast series.
- Banzil (2019) — Philippine E-Journals
- Our Brew (2022)
- Philippine News Agency (2024)
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine / Department of Health (2022)
- Taylor et al. (2017) — Frontiers in Veterinary Science