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Atero N, Córdova-Bührle F, Salgado-Caxito M, Benavides JA, Fernández M, Diethelm-Varela B, Ramos R, Sapiente Aguirre C, Trujillo F, Dürr S, Mardones FO. An assessment of the owned canine and feline demographics in Chile: registration, sterilization, and unsupervised roaming indicators. Prev Vet Med 2024; 226:106185. [PMID: 38507889 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The global rise in companion animal populations, particularly dogs and cats, is driven by emotional and social benefits for owners, and their population management is becoming critically important to avoid a plethora of adverse effects on themselves, humans, and wildlife. We estimated the size and density of the owned canine and feline population in Chile and evaluated the status of microchipping, registration, sterilization rates, and the proportion of owned animals that roam unsupervised. A cross-sectional household survey in 36 districts was conducted and standard inferential statistics was employed to analyze differences between cats and dogs, sexes within each species, and between rural and urban areas. Additionally, two negative binomial models with mixed effects were developed to predict the number of dogs and cats per households. Two methods were used to compare population size estimates at the country level, multiplying: (1) the estimated mean number of companion animals per household by the estimated number of households at the country level, and (2) the estimated human:dog and human:cat ratios by the total human population. The study involved 6333 respondents, of which 76% (74% urban; 83% rural) owned companion animals (dogs and/or cats). Individuals in rural multi-person households increase the probability of owning dogs and/or cats. Additionally, women exhibit a greater inclination towards cat and dog ownership compared to men, while those over 30 years old demonstrate lower rates of companion animal ownership in contrast to the 18-30 age group for both species. The overall human:dog and human:cat ratios estimated were 2.7:1, and 6.2:1, respectively. The estimated total number of owned dogs and cats in Chile ranged from 9.6 to 10.7 million, depending on the methodological approach, while national median density of companion animals was 12 dogs per km2 (ranging from 0.02 to 7232) and 5 cats per km2 (ranging from 0.01 to 3242). This nationwide study showed one of the highest percentages of households with companion animals in Latin America and relatively low registration and sterilization rates, highlighting the need to strength long-term public policies to control populations of companion animals and promote responsibility in pet ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolhole Atero
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisca Córdova-Bührle
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Dirección de Transferencia y Desarrollo, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Julio A Benavides
- UMR MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad y Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miriam Fernández
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM), Las Cruces, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Núcleo Milenio para la Ecología y la Conservación de los Ecosistemas de Arrecifes Mesofóticos Templados (NUTME), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín Diethelm-Varela
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820244, Chile
| | - Romina Ramos
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Sapiente Aguirre
- Programa Nacional de Tenencia Responsable de Animales de Compañía (PTRAC), Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Regional y Administrativo (SUBDERE), Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública de Chile; Departamento de Planificación y Gestión, de la División de Administración y Finanzas, Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Regional y Administrativo (SUBDERE), Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública de Chile, Chile
| | - Florencia Trujillo
- Programa Nacional de Tenencia Responsable de Animales de Compañía (PTRAC), Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Regional y Administrativo (SUBDERE), Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública de Chile
| | - Salome Dürr
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fernando O Mardones
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820244, Chile.
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Castillo B, Muñoz-Quezada MT, Sapiente-Aguirre C. Demographics and tenure of the Chilean urban dog population. A mathematical model. Prev Vet Med 2024; 225:106141. [PMID: 38359471 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Irresponsible dog ownership in urban areas is a public health concern with significant implications for human, animal, and environmental welfare. Factors such as abandonment, variations in adoption, insufficient supervision, emerging identification initiatives, and collective feeding impact the growth of stray dog populations and the transmission of diseases. Developing a modeling tool to understand the dynamics of canine population growth and the effect of human behavior on this phenomenon is essential. METHODS An ordinary differential equation model was developed to depict the growth dynamics and movements of urban dog populations, distinguishing between those with owners (restricted and semi-restricted) and those without (stray and community dogs). Two equilibrium states of the system were analyzed: with and without the presence of individually owned dogs. An increase rate for the population of individually owned dogs was calculated, and a local sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of parameters on the reduction of this population. Additionally, two global sensitivity analysis methods were used to evaluate the simultaneous influence of the parameters. RESULTS Findings indicate that system equilibrium depends on various dog categories. Although total eradication of stray and community dogs is unlikely, equilibrium levels are directly related to subpopulation growth rates, responsible ownership practices, and adoption and abandonment rates. The growth rates of the population of dogs without individual owners have a direct and proportional influence on their regulation, while adoption rates have an inverse and proportional effect. The study, through global sensitivity analysis, identifies key parameters for each dog subpopulation. For restricted dogs, environmental carrying capacity is the most variable factor; for semi-restricted dogs, awareness of responsible ownership is crucial. The abandonment of restricted dogs significantly impacts stray dog dynamics, while the transition from stray to community status is an important variable factor for community dogs. CONCLUSION Addressing the situation of unowned dogs requires a collective effort to reduce risks associated with the spread of zoonotic diseases, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss, thus contributing to public health and environmental conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamín Castillo
- Centro de investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| | | | - Claudia Sapiente-Aguirre
- Programa Nacional de Tenencia Responsable de Animales de Compañía (PTRAC), Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Regional y Administrativo (SUBDERE), Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública de Chile, Chile
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Montecino-Latorre D, San Martín W. Evidence supporting that human-subsidized free-ranging dogs are the main cause of animal losses in small-scale farms in Chile. AMBIO 2019; 48:240-250. [PMID: 29905914 PMCID: PMC6374227 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-018-1066-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We surveyed professionals from the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture working with small-scale farmers to characterize the attacks of free-ranging dogs across Chile. Nationwide, in a single year, free-ranging dogs attacked 25% of the ca. 8500 farms included in the survey, killing or injuring about 10 000 small ruminants. These dogs were ranked as the main cause of animal losses for small-scale farmers, representing a threat to the livelihoods of this vulnerable group. Further, free-ranging dogs attacking small ruminants were considered as human-subsidized, since they would be recruited by irresponsible ownership and abandonment from urban centers. This is the first national assessment reporting that human-subsidized dogs are a main threat to livestock rearing. Policies to control populations of these animals should target their anthropogenic origin as well as cultural shifts in dog ownership and animal welfare. While these policies may be effective mid- to long-term approaches, short-term actions may also be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Montecino-Latorre
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - William San Martín
- Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and History Section, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
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Villatoro FJ, Sepúlveda MA, Stowhas P, Silva-Rodríguez EA. Urban dogs in rural areas: Human-mediated movement defines dog populations in southern Chile. Prev Vet Med 2016; 135:59-66. [PMID: 27931930 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Management strategies for dog populations and their diseases include reproductive control, euthanasia and vaccination, among others. However, the effectiveness of these strategies can be severely affected by human-mediated dog movement. If immigration is important, then the location of origin of dogs imported by humans will be fundamental to define the spatial scales over which population management and research should apply. In this context, the main objective of our study was to determine the spatial extent of dog demographic processes in rural areas and the proportion of dogs that could be labeled as immigrants at multiple spatial scales. To address our objective we conducted surveys in households located in a rural landscape in southern Chile. Interviews allowed us to obtain information on the demographic characteristics of dogs in these rural settings, human influence on dog mortality and births, the localities of origin of dogs living in rural areas, and the spatial extent of human-mediated dog movement. We found that most rural dogs (64.1%) were either urban dogs that had been brought to rural areas (40.0%), or adopted dogs that had been previously abandoned in rural roads (24.1%). Some dogs were brought from areas located as far as ∼700km away from the study area. Human-mediated movement of dogs, especially from urban areas, seems to play a fundamental role in the population dynamics of dogs in rural areas. Consequently, local scale efforts to manage dog populations or their diseases are unlikely to succeed if implemented in isolation, simply because dogs can be brought from surrounding urban areas or even distant locations. We suggest that efforts to manage or study dog populations and related diseases should be implemented using a multi-scale approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico J Villatoro
- Programa de Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Maximiliano A Sepúlveda
- Departamento de Planificación y Desarrollo, Gerencia de Áreas Silvestres Protegidas del Estado, Corporación Nacional Forestal, Paseo Bulnes 285, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Stowhas
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 550N Park, Box 47, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 USA, USA
| | - Eduardo A Silva-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile.
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