Usually, municipal dog culls do not come close to qualifying as “euthanasia” – that is, providing a “good death” for the dogs. Instead, the killing of the dogs is often brutal and involves a great deal of suffering. It is also not a cheap solution and, as the WHO statement above indicates, it is not effective. The number of dogs may be reduced in the short term but the remaining dogs will rapidly repopulate the community.
If a government were to tally the true costs of killing programs and designate that same amount of funding to a strategic, long-term program, the problem would be solved. A long term, effective program may require more initial funding, but it’s an investment in a solution that allows for increased public safety, fewer street dogs and more livable communities.