Abstract
One of the motives that compromises the welfare of dogs is a lack of understanding of their needs and of the natural behavior of the species. The use of telemetry as a means of indirect observation is emergent and has provided a significant increase in scientific perspectives. However, its use is still limited for domestic animals despite the high potential for applying the technology in this area. Thus, the objective of this project was to construct a prototype using telemetry via satellite, of reduced size and low cost that allows for the monitoring of dogs in the streets. The prototype of the tracker was constructed containing a Pro Mini Arduino with an ATmega328 micro-controller, a GPS module for the Arduino, GPS u-blox NEO-6M and a Micro Sd reading/taping module for the Arduino. The final weight of the prototype was 197.4±101.5 grams with the battery and is attached to the collar. The dispersion of the planimetric coordinates around the mean was 2.7 meters, which increased to 10.9 meters when the height factor was added to the dispersion. It was concluded that with the size and weight of the prototype used it was possible to evaluate medium to large-sized dogs in the street. The prototype showed the precision necessary to read the coordinates collected for projects aimed at monitoring dogs in the streets, since these do not demand millimetric precision and accuracy.
Highlights
In recent decades the absence of responsible custody has culminated in the presence of animals wandering in cities in the diverse societies
Authors recommend that telemetric transmitters do not exceed 7% of the animal’s weight to avoid discomfort and changes in the animal’s natural behavior (SCHUBAUER, 1981; ECKLER; BREISCH; BEHLER, 1990; KATHLEEN., 2003; HALLER; GUIMARÃES; RAIMO, 2015), the final weight of the prototype allowed for its use in animals weighing above 3.3±0.2 Kg without causing discomfort, and could be used in small, medium and large-sized dogs without impacting the animal’s comfort
Thirty readings were taken with the prototype in the stationary position to carry out the descriptive statistics necessary to calculate the dispersion of the data and the probable circular error, resulting in 17,213 minutes of reading and 8,588 coordinates taped and analyzed
Summary
In recent decades the absence of responsible custody has culminated in the presence of animals wandering in cities in the diverse societies. Such a situation creates problems for the welfare of the dogs (PAULA, 2010) and one of the reasons for the compromise of canine welfare is a lack of understanding of their needs and of the natural behavior of the species. Garcia, Maldonado & Ferreira (2012) concluded that a population management program should ally political, sanitary, etiological and humanitarian strategies as part of a unique health concept, providing benefits for both the animals and society. Studies have been carried out concerning the spatial distribution of dogs in the streets, there is still a lack of research on the behavior and relationship of dogs in their communities (KWOK et al, 2016)
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