There are fears a stray dog problem in the Northern Marianas could harm tourism.
Unofficial estimates put the number of Saipan's free-roaming dog population at between 10,000 and 20,000.
The director of the Animal Humane Society in Hawaii, Inga Gibson, says the problem could mean millions of dollars of lost revenue for Saipan.
Mr Gibson says tourists simply do not want to see animals suffering or in distress and they do not want to see dead animals on the side of the road.
She says word of mouth travels fast when a tourist arrives home from an unpleasant trip.
