kittens per litter (Burton and Dobler, 2004), each of which can be a threat to wildlife. There has not been much research on how domestic dogs in the United States affect wild animals. Dogs can cause physical injury, nest destruction, and death to wildlife animals (Forrest and Cassady, 2006). They can also harass or chase endemic species, which results in increased stress and energetically costly behavior among native wildlife (Lenth, 2008). A survey conducted in 2016 by the American Pet Products Association estimates that there are about 89,000,000 domestic dogs in the United States. Some domestic dogs are trained to facilitate hunting, protect property, or reduce human-wildlife conflicts by protecting livestock from people or predators (Melson, 2009). In Wisconsin, 26 counties have wildlife rehabilitation centers or licensed rehabilitators that care for injured or orphaned urban wild animals with the intent to release them back into the wild (Wisconsin DNR). The Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center (DCHS Wildlife Center) treats over 3,800 animals per year that are sick, injured, or orphaned with the goal of releasing healthy animals back into their natural habitats (Dane County Humane Society, 2020). Although data on intakes to wildlife rehabilitation centers cannot be used to estimate the total number of birds and mammals injured by domestic pets or to know how dogs and cats affect bird and mammal populations, they may provide insight into the species and life stages that are most affected. Reviewing existing data from DCHS Wildlife Center can also help other rehabilitation centers in Wisconsin understand when animals will be admitted due to dog and cat interactions, the life stages of animals admitted, and the mortality and release rates of animals.
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