ABSTRACT

Free-ranging dogs (FRDs), are a problem in several countries, with impacts on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, although increasing evidence suggests that most FRDs are owned. Therefore, understanding dog ownership on a fine scale is critical. The main objectives of this study were to explore dog management in rural localities from central Chile focusing on modeling owner-related variables associated with dog confinement and characterize confined and FRDs populations. Interviews (170) were carried out in Paine municipality, reporting a human:dog ratio of 1.5:1, and dogs in most households (85.9%, 146/170). Thirty-seven percent (54/146) of those households did not confine their dog(s) to some degree, and 41% (196/472) of surveyed dogs were FRD. Based on multivariable logistic regression models, non-confinement was decreased by (i) negative opinion of owners toward roaming behavior of their dogs, (ii) negative opinion toward FRDs, among others. Dog confinement increased along with owners' concerns about the impacts of their dogs on others. Owned-FRDs tended to have poorer general care than confined dogs. Our findings represent a contribution to the understanding of the human dimensions behind FRDs and provide critical quantitative elements to consider when planning effective control strategies.

摘要

尽管越来越多的证据表明大多数自由放养的狗 (FRD) 都是自有的，但在一些国家/地区，自由放养的狗 (FRD) 是一个问题，对人类、家畜和野生动物都有影响。因此，深入了解狗的所有权至关重要。本研究的主要目的是探索智利中部农村地区的狗管理，重点是对与狗禁闭相关的所有者相关变量进行建模，并描述禁闭和 FRD 人群的特征。在 Paine 市进行了采访 (170)，报告人与狗的比例为 1.5:1，大多数家庭中的狗 (85.9%, 146/170)。这些家庭中有 37% (54/146) 在一定程度上没有限制他们的狗，41% (196/472) 的受调查狗是 FRD。基于多变量逻辑回归模型，由于（i）主人对他们的狗的漫游行为的负面看法，（ii）对FRD的负面看法等，非限制性有所减少。随着主人对他们的狗对他人的影响的担忧，狗的监禁增加了。拥有的 FRD 往往比封闭的狗有更差的一般护理。我们的研究结果代表了对理解 FRD 背后的人的维度的贡献，并提供了在规划有效控制策略时要考虑的关键定量要素。