Evidence supporting that human-subsidized free-ranging dogs are the main cause of animal losses in small-scale farms in Chile

Montecino‐Latorre, Diego; Martín, William San

doi:10.1007/s13280-018-1066-3

Cited by 25 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…This is a relevant finding, given that most previous research on the topic has been conducted in developed countries characterized by adequate management of pets [ 16 ]. The lack of movement restriction of dogs is a generalized problem in Chile, which has been reported in urban areas as a public health problem [ 41 , 58 ] and in rural areas as a problem that affects wildlife conservation [ 24 ], livestock husbandry, and human security [ 33 , 59 ]. Furthermore, some of the dogs detected could be abandoned animals, a frequent phenomenon in rural areas of southern Chile [ 60 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Cortés

Navedo

Silva‐Rodríguez

2021

Animals

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Dogs on sandy beaches are a threat to shorebirds. Managing this problem requires understanding the factors that influence the abundance of dogs in these ecosystems. We aimed to determine the proportion of beaches used by dogs and the effects of human presence on dog abundance on sandy beaches of southern Chile. We conducted dog counts and recorded the presence of tracks on 14 beaches. We used zero-inflated generalized linear mixed models to determine if the number of people, number of households, and other covariates were associated with dog abundance. We detected dog tracks on all the beaches, and dog sightings on most of them. Dogs were frequently not supervised (45%) and only 13% of them were leashed. The number of people on the beach and the number of houses near the beach were positively associated with the number of dogs on beaches. Finally, when dogs co-occurred with whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), the probability of dog harassment was high (59%). Our work reveals that human presence determines the abundance of dogs on sandy beaches. Therefore, our study suggests that any strategy aiming at reducing dog harassment of shorebirds requires changes in those human behaviors that favor the presence of free-ranging dogs at beaches.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Cortés

Navedo

Silva‐Rodríguez

2021

Animals

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“…The number of prey brought home represents only part of their hunting activity [22], thus representing the minimum number of animals killed by month. Still, the impact that cats have on wildlife does not appear to strike the news or be a societal concern as much as dogs’ impact on animals and the economic losses associated with their attacks to farm animals in the country [52]. This could be the result of people perceiving bringing prey back home as “bringing a present” [53], and as a consequence of this, having a better bond with their pet.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Responsible Ownership Practices Influence Hunting Behavior of Owned Cats?: Results from a Survey of Cat Owners in Chile

Escobar

Alegría-Morán

Calderón-Amor

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryCats are popular pets, with increases in both the number of households that have cats and the number of cats per household. Cats can also have great negative impacts on wildlife. In Chile, the potential influence of owned cats on wildlife has not been studied, which is why the aim of this study was to investigate the number and type of prey that cats bring home and its relationship with responsible ownership practices. For this, we sent a questionnaire to pet owners across the country. The survey included questions about the type of household and pets, if cats had brought prey back home, and responsible ownership practices. The results showed that from 5216 respondents, 94.3% had a pet; from these, 49.9% had at least one cat. There were on average 2.2 cats per household, and 84.1% of owners reported that their cats had brought back prey. Birds and mammals were the most common type of prey, followed by insects. The lack of responsible ownership practices such as not being registered, not having a litter box, having free access to the outdoors, or living in a house with a garden and providing a hiding place increased the probability of cats bringing back home prey.AbstractThe domestic cat (Felis catus) has become a worldwide threat to wildlife. The potential impact of owned cats on wildlife in Chile has not been documented at a large scale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the number and type of prey that owned cats bring back in Chile and its relation with responsible ownership practices. An online survey was distributed to 5216 households that included questions about the type of pet, responsible ownership practices, and in the case of cats, the type of prey they brought home. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied. The results showed that 94.3% of respondents had a pet, and from these, 49.9% had at least one cat. A total of 84.1% of owners reported that their cats had brought back prey. Birds were the most common type of prey, followed by mammals and insects. Not being registered with a microchip, not having a litter box, living in a house with access to a garden, not having a hiding place for the cats, and having free access to the outdoors significantly increased the odds of cats bringing back prey. Body condition score or providing ad libitum food to cats did not have an effect on bringing prey.

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“…Another facet of the problem is that stray dogs cause traffic accidents [6,24,26]. Moreover, free-ranging dogs can cause animal losses in smallscale farms [27]. From the perspective of public health [28], it is important to understand that dogs can be affected by over 100 zoonotic, bacterial [29], viral [30], and parasitic diseases [31][32][33] and may be carriers of diseases that include rabies [34][35][36][37], leptospirosis [38], hookworm disease, echinococcosis, leishmaniasis [39], ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, brucellosis [40], dirofilariasis [41], Bartonella spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandonment of dogs in Latin America: Strategies and ideas

et al. 2021

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In this article, we gathered information from postgraduate theses and scientific articles published in several databases using inclusion criteria that had been made in Latin America, in countries with similar economic conditions, and also in the USA to present a point of comparison. The objective of this review is to broaden the readers' understanding of the causes of the increasing numbers of stray dogs and the reasons why people abandon pets in the streets, specifically in Latin America. It also discusses adoption and responsible ownership, identifies what failed in promoting positive human-dog interaction, and suggests strategies to address this problem. It concludes that adoption alone is not an effective solution but that it is necessary to offer education and awareness programs for owners, organize sterilization campaigns, and develop and apply – with the corresponding authorities – measures to ensure animal welfare that will provide benefits for society and improve animal quality of life. The role of veterinarians is fundamental in education and in disseminating the necessary information to orient people before they acquire a pet and prevent animal abandonment to resolve this problem.

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Evidence supporting that human-subsidized free-ranging dogs are the main cause of animal losses in small-scale farms in Chile

Cited by 25 publications

References 33 publications

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Can Responsible Ownership Practices Influence Hunting Behavior of Owned Cats?: Results from a Survey of Cat Owners in Chile

Abandonment of dogs in Latin America: Strategies and ideas

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