Abstract
The diagnostic phase of an interactive research evaluation model was used in the investigation of the animal welfare needs of a low-income urban community in South Africa. Data were gathered by means of a structured interview and direct observations by animal welfare officers. During the survey of 871 animal owners in Soweto, it was found that dogs were owned by 778 households and cats by 88 households. The dog to human ratio was estimated at 1:12.4. Respondents were asked whether they enjoyed owning animals and 96.1% said that they did. Only 26.3% mentioned that they had problems with their own animals and 16.6% had problems with other people's animals. Treatment of sick animals (29.7%) was seen as a priority. However, less than 1% (n = 6) used the services of private veterinarians. Others took their animals to welfare organisations or did not have them treated. Perceptions of affordable costs of veterinary treatments were also recorded. In addition to treatment, respondents indicated a need for vaccination (22.5%), sterilisation (16.5%), control of internal (3.7%) and external (8.8%) parasites, education and extension (6.6%), prevention of cruelty to animals (3.2%) and expansion of veterinary clinics to other parts of Soweto (1.3%).
Highlights
The Soweto branch of the JohannesburgSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) requested assistance with a survey to determine the animal welfare needs of Soweto in a structured fashion so that they would be better able to design cost-effective and affordable methods to meet these needs
The dog to human ratio was calculated from the random survey as 1:12.4 or 0.42 dogs/household
The dog-to-human ratio and dog-tohousehold ratio are lower than those reported in the literature[5]
Summary
The Soweto branch of the JohannesburgSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) requested assistance with a survey to determine the animal welfare needs of Soweto in a structured fashion so that they would be better able to design cost-effective and affordable methods to meet these needs. Soweto is a sprawling urban metropolis founded during the apartheid era to house black people working in Johannesburg[9]. Soweto SPCA was originally started as a branch of Johannesburg SPCA in 1988. Primary animal health care activities and veterinary extension are possibly more cost-effective than curative veterinary medicine and aDepartment of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Medical University of Southern Africa, Internal Box 170, Medunsa, 0204 South Africa. BDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Medical University of Southern Africa, Internal Box 230, Medunsa, 0204 South Africa. CDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Internal Box 107, Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa, 0204 South Africa.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call