The dogs in Bali live a free-form life without owners. Besides feral dogs, there are also partially stray dogs that do have owners but are not treated or considered as pets. Many of these dogs are only fed with leftovers and do not get proper care or medicine.

Most Balinese can’t afford to go to a veterinarian to have their dogs sterilised. According to a study by a team from the University of California, there are approximately 800,000 dogs living in these conditions. Right now, efforts to control the dog population are being carried out by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and concerned individuals. The government’s role (through the Department of Health of Bali Province) is quite limited, and it has not allocated any money to handle the problem.