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Lambertucci SA, Zamora-Nasca LB, Sengupta A, de la Reta M, Plaza PI. Evidence-based legislation, strong institutions and consensus needed to mitigate the negative impacts of free-ranging dogs. AMBIO 2024; 53:299-308. [PMID: 37740870 PMCID: PMC10774468 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01928-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Dogs bring many benefits to our society but, if not properly managed, they can be detrimental for humans, livestock and wildlife. We highlight the increasing problems associated with free-ranging dogs using examples from two regions of the world where this issue is pervasive, India and South America. In these regions, free-ranging dogs spread diseases, injure people, harm biodiversity, and negatively impact human livelihoods. We discuss why mitigating these deleterious effects can be extremely complicated because there are diverse challenges such as: (a) a lack of or inappropriate legislations concerning free-ranging dog management and human-dog interactions, (b) unregulated intentional and unintentional feeding of free-ranging dogs, (c) limitations of animal shelters, (d) non-responsible ownership, and (e) uncontrolled dog populations. As the management of animal species is usually shaped by differing interests, existing policies and regulations, views and social influence of stakeholders, power asymmetries between interested parties is yet another challenge in this regard. We need evidence-based legislations and strong institutions (e.g., public health and conservation institutions) that are capable of implementing governance principles and managing the complexities of this socio-ecological system by taking science-based decisions, and balancing power asymmetries to promote consensus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, Quintral 1250, R8400FRF, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina.
| | - Lucía B Zamora-Nasca
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, Quintral 1250, R8400FRF, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Asmita Sengupta
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Sriramapura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560 064, India
- National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Marina de la Reta
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, Quintral 1250, R8400FRF, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo I Plaza
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, Quintral 1250, R8400FRF, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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Tenzin T, Hikufe EH, Hedimbi N, Athingo R, Shikongo MB, Shuro T, Iipinge J, Herman N, Naunyango M, Haufiku F, Peter J, Hango L, Gottlieb S, Shoombe K, Denzin N, Busch F, Lohr F, Letshwenyo M, Torres G, Freuling CM, Müller T, Shilongo A. Dog ecology and rabies knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011631. [PMID: 38315727 PMCID: PMC10881021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2021, a comprehensive dog demographic questionnaire combined with a KAP survey were conducted in the northern communal areas (NCAs) of Namibia with the aim of gaining a better understanding of dog populations, owner behaviour, and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) relating to rabies. The survey of 3,726 households across the eight regions of the NCAs provided insights that will inform interventions in order to improve human rabies prevention and Namibia's dog rabies control strategy. The results showed a relatively low average human/dog ratio (HDR) of 5.4:1 indicating a surprisingly high dog population of at least 272,000 dogs in the NCAs, 93% of which appear to be owned but are free-roaming. Data analysis revealed opportunities but also highlighted needs for improvements in rabies surveillance and mass dog vaccinations. Although knowledge, attitude, and practice scores towards epidemiologic and clinical aspects, human rabies prevention, and dog rabies vaccination were deemed to be acceptable, the survey nevertheless revealed deficiencies in certain aspects in some of the population. Interestingly, data seemed to indicate relatively high dog bite incidences per 100,000 people, ranging between 262 and 1,369 and a certain number of unreported human rabies cases. Despite the very high number of dogs, only 50% of dog-owning households reported having vaccinated their dogs. In order to address these issues, the planning, announcement, and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns needs to be adapted to achieve adequate vaccination coverage. Another focus needs to be on rabies awareness and education if Namibia is to be significantly contributing to the global goal of "Zero by 30".
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Affiliation(s)
- Tenzin Tenzin
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Sub-Regional Representation for Southern Africa, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Emmanuel H. Hikufe
- Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Nehemia Hedimbi
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Kunene region, Opuwo, Namibia
| | - Rauna Athingo
- Animal Disease Control—North, State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ongwediva, Namibia
| | - Mainelo Beatrice Shikongo
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Zambezi region, Katima Mulilo, Namibia
| | - Thompson Shuro
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Kavango East region, Rundu, Namibia
| | - Johannes Iipinge
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Oshana region, Ondangwa, Namibia
| | - Nelson Herman
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Oshana region, Ondangwa, Namibia
| | - Matias Naunyango
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ohangwena region, Eenhana, Namibia
| | - Frenada Haufiku
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Oshikoto region, Omuthiya, Namibia
| | - Josephat Peter
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Omusati region, Outapi, Namibia
| | - Laina Hango
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Omusati region, Outapi, Namibia
| | - Sara Gottlieb
- State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Kavango East region, Nkurunkuru, Namibia
| | - Kenneth Shoombe
- Animal Disease Control—North, State Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ongwediva, Namibia
| | - Nicolai Denzin
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Frank Busch
- Institute of International Animal Health/One Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Moetapele Letshwenyo
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Sub-Regional Representation for Southern Africa, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | - Conrad M. Freuling
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, WOAH Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, WOAH Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Albertina Shilongo
- Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Windhoek, Namibia
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Mota-Rojas D, Strappini A, Whittaker AL, Ghezzi M, Titto CG, Calderón-Maldonado N, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Gómez-Prado J, Hernández-Ávalos I, José-Pérez N, Casas-Alvarado A, Orihuela A. Controversial Topics in Animal Welfare in Latin America: A Focus on the Legislation Surrounding the Human-Companion Animal Relationship and Animals Used for Recreational Practices. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091463. [PMID: 37174499 PMCID: PMC10177325 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare is a societally relevant issue that is globally attracting increased attention. This is in addition to the importance placed on welfare for the animals themselves. However, the content and application of laws protecting animals' welfare vary across countries. In Latin America, there are a range of common practices or activities involving certain animal species, many of which are legal, that can impair an animal's quality of life. These include the performance of aesthetic surgical procedures; bull-, cock-, and dog fighting; and the existence of circuses that exhibit animals. The extent and impact of these practices being dependent on the socioeconomic, cultural, territorial, and regulatory landscape of each country. Particularly, Ibero-American regions face welfare challenges that might be influenced by traditions and relevant legal gaps. The objective of this article is to review controversial practices carried out in companion and entertainment animals in Latin America, with a focus on legal aspects, as well as the current efforts being made to address and incorporate global welfare standards into domestic and wild animal practice and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 04960, Mexico
| | - Ana Strappini
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexandra L Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5116, Australia
| | - Marcelo Ghezzi
- Animal Welfare Area, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), University Campus, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - Cristiane Gonçalves Titto
- Laboratório de Biometeorologia e Etologia, FZEA-USP, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-900, Brazil
| | | | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuautitlán 54714, Mexico
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 04960, Mexico
| | - Jocelyn Gómez-Prado
- Neurophysiology, Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 04960, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hernández-Ávalos
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuautitlán 54714, Mexico
| | - Nancy José-Pérez
- Neurophysiology, Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 04960, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 04960, Mexico
| | - Agustín Orihuela
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Mexico
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Patterson KN, Beckmeyer A, Bourgeois T, Horvath KZ, Pratt AL, Armour L, Wang L, Minneci PC, Deans KJ, Thakkar RK, Parasidis E. Legal epidemiology of paediatric dog bite injuries. Inj Prev 2023; 29:142-149. [PMID: 36332979 DOI: 10.1136/ip-2022-044675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dog bite injuries cause over 100 000 paediatric emergency department visits annually. Our objective was to analyse associations between regional dog ownership laws and incidence of paediatric dog bites. METHODS This observational study used an online search to locate local dog-related policies within Ohio cities. Data collected by Ohio Partners For Kids from 2011 through 2020 regarding claims for paediatric dog bite injuries were used to compare areas with and without located policies and the incidence of injury. RESULTS Our cohort consisted of 6175 paediatric patients with dog bite injury encounters. A majority were white (79.1%), male (55.0%), 0-5 years old (39.2%) and did not require hospital admission (98.1%). Seventy-nine of 303 cities (26.1%) had city-specific policies related to dogs. Overall, the presence of dog-related policies was associated with lower incidence of dog bite injury claims (p=0.01). Specifically, metropolitan areas and the Central Ohio region had a significantly lower incidence when dog-related policies were present (324.85 per 100 000 children per year when present vs 398.56 when absent; p<0.05; 304.87 per 100 000 children per year when present vs 411.43 when absent; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The presence of city-specific dog-related policies is associated with lower incidence of paediatric dog bite injury claims, suggesting that local policy impacts this important public health issue. There are limited dog-related policies addressing dog bite prevention, with inconsistencies in breadth and depth. Creating consistent, practical requirements among policies with vigorous enforcement could ameliorate public health concerns from paediatric dog bite injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli N Patterson
- Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Tran Bourgeois
- Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kyle Z Horvath
- Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Amy L Pratt
- Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa Armour
- Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ling Wang
- Partner for Kids, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Peter C Minneci
- Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Oh, USA
| | - Katherine J Deans
- Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Oh, USA
| | - Rajan K Thakkar
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Oh, USA
- Center for Pediatric Trauma Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Efthimios Parasidis
- Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Salgado-Caxito M, Benavides JA, Atero N, Córdova-Bürhle F, Ramos R, Fernandez M, Sapiente-Aguirre C, Mardones FO. Preventive healthcare among dogs and cats in Chile is positively associated with emotional owner-companion animal bond and socioeconomic factors. Prev Vet Med 2023; 213:105882. [PMID: 36867925 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Global companion animal population has been increasing as well as the number of dogs and cats being considered as a family member. However, it is unclear whether this close relationship could be associated with higher preventive healthcare in companion animals. Using data from 7,048 questionnaires of dogs and 3,271 of cats from the First National Study on Responsible Companion Animal Ownership, we estimated the proportion of preventive healthcare in companion animals of Chile. We also conducted a general linear mixed-effect regression model to identify socioeconomic factors and indicators of the emotional owners-companion animal bond that could influence owners' practices related to vaccination, parasite control, and veterinary visits. Based on the owner's answers, Chile has a satisfactory overall rates of parasite control (71%) and annual veterinary visits (65%) but a low vaccination coverage of both dogs (39%) and cats (25%). 'Purebred', 'live in urban areas', 'acquired by monetary compensation', and 'dog species' were associated with a higher probability of preventive healthcare in companion animals. Conversely, this probability was lower among senior animals compared to adults, males, and those owned by the Silent Generation or Baby Boomers (i.e., owners born before 1964). 'Sleeping inside', 'acquired for an emotional reason' (e.g., companionship), and 'considered a family member' were positively associated with at least one of assessed preventive measures. Our findings suggest that emotional owner-companion animal bonds could positively impact the frequency and quality of preventive healthcare in dogs and cats. However, owners who totally disagreed that a companion animal is a "family member" were also associated with a higher likelihood of vaccination uptake and veterinary visits for their animals. This highlights that owner's compliance with veterinary preventive healthcare is multifactorial. Chile has a high prevalence of infectious diseases circulating among dogs and cats and increasingly close contacts between owners and companion animals due to emotional bonds. Thus, our study calls for One Health approaches to reduce the risks of cross-species disease transmission. Specifically, increasing vaccination coverage of companion animals in Chile is the most urgent preventive measure needed, especially among cats, males, and older animals. Expand preventive healthcare among dogs and cats will promote public and animal health, including local wildlife that is susceptible to infectious diseases circulating in companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marília Salgado-Caxito
- 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
| | - Julio A Benavides
- 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 Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - 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-Bürhle
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Miriam Fernandez
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM) de Las Cruces y Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystem (NUTME), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, 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, Chile
| | - 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; Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820244, Chile.
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Mohammadi A, Nayeri D, Alambeigi A, Marchini S. A wicked environmental challenge: collaboration network for free-ranging dog management in an urban environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:27125-27136. [PMID: 36378375 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24029-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species possess wide-ranging social and ecological impacts globally. Although the ecological impacts are well studied, social aspects especially in developing countries are often poorly understood. Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) (Canis familiaris) are the most abundant carnivore on earth with a high level of invasion. Recently, the presence of FRDs in the Jiroft city in southern Iran has increased, and local managers have not yet developed a coherent management plan. Given the high rate of human bites by FRDs in this region, a principled management plan with integrated collaboration between the relevant organizations is necessary. To better understand collaboration networks, we interviewed employees of three relevant governmental organizations about their collaboration with other organizations toward FRD management. Our objective in this study was to (1) assess the collaboration between the municipality, provincial offices of veterinary medicine, and health network and (2) predict the behavioral tendencies of network actors based on their current position in the FRD management network. Although most employees have never worked together to manage FRDs, our results showed that most of the interviewees did not evaluate the role of other organizations in FRD management as beneficial. Moreover, the current assessment of the employees of the two municipal and health organizations affects their current collaboration in the management of FRDs. Also, the current collaboration has a significant impact on their intention to collaborate in the future. We make suggestions for improving collaboration in managing FRDs in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Danial Nayeri
- Department of Wildlife, California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Amir Alambeigi
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agricultural Economics and Development, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Silvio Marchini
- Wildlife Ecology, Management and Conservation Lab (LEMaC), Forest Science Department, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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Duncan-Sutherland N, Hunt M, Alatini M, Shepherd M, Kool B. Study of dog control strategies. Inj Prev 2022; 29:219-226. [PMID: 36600525 DOI: 10.1136/ip-2022-044686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES (1) To explore the relationship between regionally implemented dog control strategies and dog bite injuries (DBIs) and (2) to evaluate current implementation of dog control strategies. METHODS Observational study using a nationwide online survey of territorial authorities (TAs). Domains of interest included complaints for attacks on people, dog population, primary and secondary prevention strategies, resourcing and perspectives of current strategies. Quantitative variables were compared with DBI Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims by region from 2014 to 2018. RESULTS Two-thirds of TAs (70%; n=47/67) responded to the survey. No clear relationship was observed between DBIs and: registered dog population, proportion sterilisations or microchipping, classifications due to dog behaviour, or existing limited resourcing. Legislated breeds and infringements for failure to control a dog or non-registration were higher in areas with greater DBIs. Educational messages varied widely and were predominantly victim directed (67%; n=71/106). Complaints for dog attacks on people were lower than DBIs in most areas, with no formal cross-agency notification policies. Few prosecutions or dog destruction orders were made. CONCLUSIONS Regional inequity in DBIs could not be explained by differences in the registered dog population or dog control strategies. Minimal and inequitable resourcing exists to implement current dog control strategies and provide owner-directed education. Gaps in legislation include environmental barrier requirements for all dogs (leash/muzzle use, adequate fencing), notification of incidents and child protection. Partnership with the Indigenous community (Māori) and other community groups will be required to implement these measures successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mareta Hunt
- Safekids Aotearoa, Starship Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Moses Alatini
- Safekids Aotearoa, Starship Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael Shepherd
- Children's Emergency Department, Starship Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Paediatrics: Child Youth and Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bridget Kool
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Sinclair M, Lee NYP, Hötzel MJ, de Luna MCT, Sharma A, Idris M, Derkley T, Li C, Islam MA, Iyasere OS, Navarro G, Ahmed AA, Khruapradab C, Curry M, Burns GL, Marchant JN. International perceptions of animals and the importance of their welfare. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2022.960379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our perceptions shape our intentions, our motivations, our behavior, and in doing so, our reality. In this age of the Anthropocene, our perceptions also impact the lives and welfare of other animals. One of the key principles associated with the success of international animal welfare initiatives is an understanding of local audiences and contexts. Additionally, culture by country has been demonstrated to be a significant determinant of attitudes to animals and their welfare. Within this study, we surveyed 4,291 members of the general public on their perceptions of animals and animal welfare across 14 geographically and culturally diverse countries; Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States. For many countries included in this study, this constitutes the first time research of this nature has been conducted. Most participants across all countries agreed that the welfare of both farmed animals and companion animals was important to them, and that laws that protect that welfare were also important. The notion that humans always care more for companion animals in comparison to farmed animals is challenged, as is the notion that care for the welfare of animals is a trademark of highly developed nations alone. It is proposed that the utility of the animals, and proximity by way of exposure are more significant than companionship in some countries, particularly those that are engaged with subsistence farming. Important differences exist by country, and the findings have been presented within the context of each country, for ease of incorporation into localized strategy where suitable.
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