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Animals
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Humane Global Dog Management
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Humane Global Dog Management

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 31758

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Andrew Nicholas Rowan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Humane Society of the United States, Washington, DC, USA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to announce that MDPI has established a Special Issue of Animals on “Humane Global Dog Management”, devoted to new research aimed at increasing our understanding of global dog populations, both street dogs and private (pet) dogs, as well as the impact of different dog management approaches around the world. This Special Issue is focused on improving the following:
a) Our understanding of relative dog populations (i.e., dogs per 1000 people) in different countries and regions of the world and the factors influencing the size of those populations over time and across cultures as well as strategies to reduce the populations of street dogs and improve their care;
b) The impact of different management approaches on reducing roaming dog populations, improving the health of community dogs, improving human–dog interactions (including reducing the rate of dog bites and human rabies incidence in communities), and other impacts on dog and community wellbeing; and
c) Understanding the growth of small animal veterinary practice as a proxy for changing patterns of human–dog interactions, over time, in different countries.

Dr. Andrew Nicholas Rowan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dog
  • welfare
  • pet
  • wellbeing
  • human—dog interaction

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3896 KiB  
Article
Dog Ecology and Demographics in Several Areas in the Philippines and Its Application to Anti-Rabies Vaccination Programs
by Amit Chaudhari, Tamara Kartal, George Brill, Kazami Joanne Amano, Maria Glofezita Lagayan and Daphne Jorca
Animals 2022, 12(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010105 - 2 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 16569
Abstract
Understanding dog population dynamics plays a vital role in planning both rabies and dog management interventions. Establishing a human to dog ratio and an understanding how the urban/rural nature of the community might affect the overall dog population estimate provides an easy-to-use reference [...] Read more.
Understanding dog population dynamics plays a vital role in planning both rabies and dog management interventions. Establishing a human to dog ratio and an understanding how the urban/rural nature of the community might affect the overall dog population estimate provides an easy-to-use reference to estimate approximate dog populations in a range of communities. A total of 10,664 households were interviewed in 10 locations in the Philippines (2017 and 2018) to understand the dog population variations among the urban, semi-urban and rural areas. Epicollect5 and OSM tracker applications were used to conduct household interviews using a predesigned fixed set of questions. All answers were recorded directly using mobile phone applications. The survey results showed that for every 1000 humans, there are 256.3 dogs in rural areas, 213.8 dogs in semi-rural areas, 208.7 dogs in urban areas and 170.0 dogs on small islands of the Philippines. We estimate a total dog population in the Philippines of 23.29 million dogs (CI 95%, 22.51–24.07 million). Based on the survey findings from Quezon City and Cebu City, targets, resources allocations and vaccination approach were adjusted for the anti-rabies vaccination program at two locations in 2018, which lead to a 3- to 4-fold increase in the total number of dogs vaccinated in each city compared to previous years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Humane Global Dog Management)
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15 pages, 610 KiB  
Article
A Pilot Study to Develop an Assessment Tool for Dogs Undergoing Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) in Italy. An Overview on the National Implementation of TNR Programmes
by Greta Veronica Berteselli, Cristina Rapagnà, Romolo Salini, Pietro Badagliacca, Fabio Bellucci, Filomena Iannino and Paolo Dalla Villa
Animals 2021, 11(11), 3107; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113107 - 30 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3626
Abstract
A descriptive analysis, inter-observer and test–retest reliability of the animal-based measures (ABMs) included in the protocol were performed. This study aimed at the development of a welfare assessment protocol for dogs recruited in the trap-neuter-release (TNR) programmes and the description of the implantation [...] Read more.
A descriptive analysis, inter-observer and test–retest reliability of the animal-based measures (ABMs) included in the protocol were performed. This study aimed at the development of a welfare assessment protocol for dogs recruited in the trap-neuter-release (TNR) programmes and the description of the implantation of these programmes in Italy. Nine Italian regions carried out TNR programmes. A varied scenario, along with some critical issues, emerged. Fifty dogs were recruited and assessed simultaneously by two assessors to determine the reliability of ABMs included in the protocol. A subsample of ten dogs were assessed three times to assess test–retest reliability. All females were neutered against 36% of males. Most dogs were adults (58%) and of a large size (68%). Vaccine prophylaxis and parasitic prevention were regular in 13% and 76% of dogs, respectively. Few dogs showed lameness, evidence of pain, other clinical problems, or thermal discomfort. Overall, 82% of dogs did not show fear or aggression to unfamiliar people. The level of agreement between the two assessors was quite high, ranging from substantial (0.61–0.80) to perfect (1) for the majority of measures. This study highlighted some critical issues in TNR implementation and the suitability of the protocol as a tool for animal welfare assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Humane Global Dog Management)
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8 pages, 1464 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the FitBark Activity Monitor for Measuring Physical Activity in Dogs
by Jessica Colpoys and Dean DeCock
Animals 2021, 11(3), 781; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030781 - 11 Mar 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5092
Abstract
Accelerometers track changes in physical activity which can indicate health and welfare concerns in dogs. The FitBark 2 (FitBark) is an accelerometer for use with dogs; however, no studies have externally validated this tool. The objective of this study was to evaluate FitBark [...] Read more.
Accelerometers track changes in physical activity which can indicate health and welfare concerns in dogs. The FitBark 2 (FitBark) is an accelerometer for use with dogs; however, no studies have externally validated this tool. The objective of this study was to evaluate FitBark criterion validity by correlating FitBark activity data to dog step count. Dogs (n = 26) were fitted with a collar-mounted FitBark and individually recorded for 30 min using a three-phase approach: (1) off-leash room explore; (2) human–dog interaction; and (3) on-leash walk. Video analysis was used to count the number of times the front right paw touched the ground (step count). Dog step count and FitBark activity were moderately correlated across all phases (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). High correlations between step count and FitBark activity were observed during phases 1 (r = 0.795, p < 0.001) and 2 (r = 0.758, p < 0.001), and a low correlation was observed during phase 3 (r = 0.498, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the FitBark is a valid tool for tracking physical activity in off-leash dogs; however, more work should be done to identify the best method of tracking on-leash activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Humane Global Dog Management)
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Review

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20 pages, 1176 KiB  
Review
A Review and Analysis of the National Dog Population Management Program in Chile
by Elena Garde, Paula Marín-Vial, Guillermo E. Pérez and Erik M. Sandvig
Animals 2022, 12(3), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030228 - 19 Jan 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5593
Abstract
Free-roaming dogs are a worldwide problem, with Chile having some of the highest human-to-dog ratios in the world. In 2017, Law 21.020 was promulgated and the federal government developed a national responsible pet ownership program. The objectives of this article are to describe [...] Read more.
Free-roaming dogs are a worldwide problem, with Chile having some of the highest human-to-dog ratios in the world. In 2017, Law 21.020 was promulgated and the federal government developed a national responsible pet ownership program. The objectives of this article are to describe and discuss the dog-related components of the program, to design a tool for determining human-to-dog ratios in Chile, and to make recommendations to managers to improve the program outcomes. The overarching goal of the program was to mitigate the conflict between humans and dogs, but many of the interventions were animal-focused and the indicators did not consider the perception of the Chilean public. Using human density data and known dog populations, we found that as the human density increased, there were fewer dogs per person. Veterinary services and sterilizations were the mainstay of the program and were offered for free to citizens. Education was offered to all ages through public events, as well as municipality and organization activities. The identification of dogs was obligatory for dog owners. Enforcement was not included in the program. The recommendations are to conduct preintervention baseline data collections and to tailor interventions and indicators appropriately; to use dog population size estimates determined at the local level rather than a country-wide estimate; to replace free veterinary services with low-cost sterilization campaigns; to create sustainable plans for education; and to create enforcement teams in communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Humane Global Dog Management)
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