Abstract
Free-roaming dogs (Canis familiaris) are common worldwide, often maintaining diseases of domestic pets and wildlife. Management of these dogs is difficult and often involves capture, treatment, neutering and release. Information on the effects of sex and reproductive state on intraspecific contacts and disease transmission is currently lacking, but is vital to improving strategic management of their populations. We assessed the effects of sex and reproductive state on short-term activity patterns and contact rates of free-roaming dogs living in an Australian Indigenous community. Population, social group sizes and rates of contact were estimated from structured observations along walked transects. Simultaneously, GPS telemetry collars were used to track dogs' movements and to quantify the frequency of contacts between individual animals. We estimated that the community's dog population was 326±52, with only 9.8±2.5% confined to a house yard. Short-term activity ranges of dogs varied from 9.2 to 133.7 ha, with males ranging over significantly larger areas than females. Contacts between two or more dogs occurred frequently, with entire females and neutered males accumulating significantly more contacts than spayed females or entire males. This indicates that sex and reproductive status are potentially important to epidemiology, but the effect of these differential contact rates on disease transmission requires further investigation. The observed combination of unrestrained dogs and high contact rates suggest that contagious disease would likely spread rapidly through the population. Pro-active management of dog populations and targeted education programs could help reduce the risks associated with disease spread.
Highlights
Free-roaming dogs (Canis familiaris) occur in many parts of the world [1], displaying a wide diversity of population sizes and social organisations, ranging from solitary individuals to members of large social groups [2,3,4]
Including the 20 Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)-collared dogs, 163 dogs were individually recognisable and all of these dogs were resighted during the transect walks
The sample of dogs fitted with GPS collars (N520) represented 6.1% of the population
Summary
Free-roaming dogs (Canis familiaris) occur in many parts of the world [1], displaying a wide diversity of population sizes and social organisations, ranging from solitary individuals to members of large social groups [2,3,4]. Management programs often involve capture, veterinary treatment and neutering, with the objective of reducing population growth and improving the overall health of the free-roaming dog population, associated humans, other domestic pets and wildlife In some remote Indigenous communities, dogs have cultural, spiritual and physical significance, which must be accounted for in dog management programs [16, 17]. These dogs spread parasites and disease, such as sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei), hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), Giardia duodenalis, heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and fleas [18] to humans and wildlife [19, 20]. Neutering and veterinary care programs to limit dog population growth and reduce the incidence of both dog and human disease are underway in many of these communities [21]
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