Do dog-human bonds influence movements of free-ranging dogs in wilderness?

Rabies in rural northeast India: A case report emphasising the urgency of the One Health approach

Dog-mediated rabies is endemic in India. The country records the highest mortality due to dog-bite-related rabies despite the availability of interventions to prevent deaths. We present a case study of the death of a 59-year-old man in a suburban town of Northeast India after a dog bite from an owned pup. Through this case study, we investigate various omissions and commissions in communities and health professionals that make rabies rampant in India. The circumstances surrounding the death were investigated by interviewing the wife, relatives, neighbour, the hospital/nursing home where the bite case was reported, the district Rapid Response Team (RRT), and the Veterinary and Animal Health Department Officer and through the information recorded in the disease outbreak report. While the biting animal was not vaccinated and had no restriction over its movement imposed by the owners, the response of the hospital staff and public authorities was delayed and inadequate. A poignant reminder of the complexities surrounding dog-mediated rabies in India, this case study calls for a holistic protocol to address dog bites through ensuring the One Health approach encompassing education, provision of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and canine rabies vaccines for dogs, promotion of responsible dog ownership, and intersectoral collaboration. Moreover, strengthening communication channels through effective data exchange and encouraging synergy among healthcare, veterinary, and public health sectors is indispensable to maximize the impact of rabies prevention and control interventions.

The Welfare of Dogs as an Aspect of the Human-Dog Bond: A Scoping Review

The close bond that can exist between humans and their dogs is an important aspect of the evolutionary, economic, and social connections between the two species. There is a need for a better understanding of the place of the dog within the human-dog bond and on ways the human-dog bond affects dog welfare. We conducted a scoping review to investigate to what extent and in what ways dog welfare is addressed in the research literature on the human-dog bond. We identified 706 publications on the human-dog bond from across the globe that were published from 2012 to 2023. We found that 246 of these 706 publications had a focus on dog welfare. Our review showed that the interplay of characteristics and backgrounds of owners/handlers and their dogs was linked to dog welfare in multiple, both positive and negative, ways. Our review is limited by the fact that most of the research that we reviewed involved pet dogs and in majority came from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic (WEIRD) societies. There is a need for a better understanding of how the human-dog bond affects the welfare of working, assistance, and service dogs.

Demographics and tenure of the Chilean urban dog population. A mathematical model

BACKGROUND

Irresponsible dog ownership in urban areas is a public health concern with significant implications for human, animal, and environmental welfare. Factors such as abandonment, variations in adoption, insufficient supervision, emerging identification initiatives, and collective feeding impact the growth of stray dog populations and the transmission of diseases. Developing a modeling tool to understand the dynamics of canine population growth and the effect of human behavior on this phenomenon is essential.

METHODS

An ordinary differential equation model was developed to depict the growth dynamics and movements of urban dog populations, distinguishing between those with owners (restricted and semi-restricted) and those without (stray and community dogs). Two equilibrium states of the system were analyzed: with and without the presence of individually owned dogs. An increase rate for the population of individually owned dogs was calculated, and a local sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of parameters on the reduction of this population. Additionally, two global sensitivity analysis methods were used to evaluate the simultaneous influence of the parameters.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that system equilibrium depends on various dog categories. Although total eradication of stray and community dogs is unlikely, equilibrium levels are directly related to subpopulation growth rates, responsible ownership practices, and adoption and abandonment rates. The growth rates of the population of dogs without individual owners have a direct and proportional influence on their regulation, while adoption rates have an inverse and proportional effect. The study, through global sensitivity analysis, identifies key parameters for each dog subpopulation. For restricted dogs, environmental carrying capacity is the most variable factor; for semi-restricted dogs, awareness of responsible ownership is crucial. The abandonment of restricted dogs significantly impacts stray dog dynamics, while the transition from stray to community status is an important variable factor for community dogs.

CONCLUSION

Addressing the situation of unowned dogs requires a collective effort to reduce risks associated with the spread of zoonotic diseases, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss, thus contributing to public health and environmental conservation.

Risk factors for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli carriage among children in a food animal-producing region of Ecuador: A repeated measures observational study

BACKGROUND

The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria may be driven by human-animal-environment interactions, especially in regions with limited restrictions on antibiotic use, widespread food animal production, and free-roaming domestic animals. In this study, we aimed to identify risk factors related to commercial food animal production, small-scale or "backyard" food animal production, domestic animal ownership, and practices related to animal handling, waste disposal, and antibiotic use in Ecuadorian communities.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We conducted a repeated measures study from 2018 to 2021 in 7 semirural parishes of Quito, Ecuador to identify determinants of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli (3GCR-EC) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase E. coli (ESBL-EC) in children. We collected 1,699 fecal samples from 600 children and 1,871 domestic animal fecal samples from 376 of the same households at up to 5 time points per household over the 3-year study period. We used multivariable log-binomial regression models to estimate relative risks (RR) of 3GCR-EC and ESBL-EC carriage, adjusting for child sex and age, caregiver education, household wealth, and recent child antibiotic use. Risk factors for 3GCR-EC included living within 5 km of more than 5 commercial food animal operations (RR: 1.26; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 1.45; p-value: 0.001), household pig ownership (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.48; p-value: 0.030) and child pet contact (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.39; p-value: 0.001). Risk factors for ESBL-EC were dog ownership (RR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.83; p-value: 0.053), child pet contact (RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.16; p-value: 0.012), and placing animal feces on household land/crops (RR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.46; p-value: 0.019). The primary limitations of this study are the use of proxy and self-reported exposure measures and the use of a single beta-lactamase drug (ceftazidime with clavulanic acid) in combination disk diffusion tests for ESBL confirmation, potentially underestimating phenotypic ESBL production among cephalosporin-resistant E. coli isolates. To improve ESBL determination, it is recommended to use 2 combination disk diffusion tests (ceftazidime with clavulanic acid and cefotaxime with clavulanic acid) for ESBL confirmatory testing. Future studies should also characterize transmission pathways by assessing antibiotic resistance in commercial food animals and environmental reservoirs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed an increase in enteric colonization of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among children with exposures to domestic animals and their waste in the household environment and children living in areas with a higher density of commercial food animal production operations.

Preventive healthcare among dogs and cats in Chile is positively associated with emotional owner-companion animal bond and socioeconomic factors

Global companion animal population has been increasing as well as the number of dogs and cats being considered as a family member. However, it is unclear whether this close relationship could be associated with higher preventive healthcare in companion animals. Using data from 7,048 questionnaires of dogs and 3,271 of cats from the First National Study on Responsible Companion Animal Ownership, we estimated the proportion of preventive healthcare in companion animals of Chile. We also conducted a general linear mixed-effect regression model to identify socioeconomic factors and indicators of the emotional owners-companion animal bond that could influence owners' practices related to vaccination, parasite control, and veterinary visits. Based on the owner's answers, Chile has a satisfactory overall rates of parasite control (71%) and annual veterinary visits (65%) but a low vaccination coverage of both dogs (39%) and cats (25%). 'Purebred', 'live in urban areas', 'acquired by monetary compensation', and 'dog species' were associated with a higher probability of preventive healthcare in companion animals. Conversely, this probability was lower among senior animals compared to adults, males, and those owned by the Silent Generation or Baby Boomers (i.e., owners born before 1964). 'Sleeping inside', 'acquired for an emotional reason' (e.g., companionship), and 'considered a family member' were positively associated with at least one of assessed preventive measures. Our findings suggest that emotional owner-companion animal bonds could positively impact the frequency and quality of preventive healthcare in dogs and cats. However, owners who totally disagreed that a companion animal is a "family member" were also associated with a higher likelihood of vaccination uptake and veterinary visits for their animals. This highlights that owner's compliance with veterinary preventive healthcare is multifactorial. Chile has a high prevalence of infectious diseases circulating among dogs and cats and increasingly close contacts between owners and companion animals due to emotional bonds. Thus, our study calls for One Health approaches to reduce the risks of cross-species disease transmission. Specifically, increasing vaccination coverage of companion animals in Chile is the most urgent preventive measure needed, especially among cats, males, and older animals. Expand preventive healthcare among dogs and cats will promote public and animal health, including local wildlife that is susceptible to infectious diseases circulating in companion animals.

Are Tourists Facilitators of the Movement of Free-Ranging Dogs?

Dogs are the most abundant carnivores on earth and, as such, negatively impact wildlife. Free-ranging dogs roam in many protected areas, which in turn are often tourist destinations. Whether tourists influence their roaming is largely unexplored but highly relevant to wildlife conservation. To address this question, we obtained (i) 81 completed questionnaires from tourists on their experience with free-ranging dogs in the remote Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile, and (ii) photographs of three camera-traps placed next to trekking trails (n = 87 trap days). A third of the participants were followed by dogs for up to four days, and 39% saw free-ranging dogs on their hikes, but neither feeding dogs nor fear of them had any influence on whether tourists were followed by dogs. Camera-traps yielded 53 independent dog sequences, recorded 32 individuals plus 14 unidentified dogs, of which only one was leashed, with a frequency of one dog every 28^th person. In 17% of 53 sequences, dogs were photographed together with hikers carrying large backpacks for several-day trips. We conclude that tourists are facilitators for the movement of dogs and highlight the importance of the engagement of the tourism sector in wildlife conservation in and close to protected areas.

The Dog-Owner Relationship: Refinement and Validation of the Italian C/DORS for Dog Owners and Correlation with the LAPS

The Cat/Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) can be administered to both dog and cat owners. However, the scale as a whole has never been validated on a sample of dog owners. Furthermore, it has never been translated into Italian. The aim of this study was to translate the C/DORS into Italian, modify its response scale in order to improve the degree of response variability, and test its validity and reliability on a sample of dog-owners. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the same three-factor structure (Perceived Emotional Closeness = PEC, Pet-Owner Interactions = POI, Perceived Costs = PC) as the original English version, although some items had to be removed because of low- or cross-loadings. The validity of the construct was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, by the correlations between each of the subscales and the C/DORS total score, and by the correlations with the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Cronbach's α values for each subscale were above acceptable levels. Student owners scored higher on PEC and POI than owners with other occupations. Owners of dogs with behavioural problems scored lower on PEC and higher on PC. Keeping the dog outdoor was associated with lower POI. Finally, pet dog owners scored higher on PEC than AAI dog owners.