Effects of surgical and chemical sterilization on the behavior of free-roaming male dogs in Puerto Natales, Chile

Garde, Elena; Pérez, Guillermo E.; Vanderstichel, Raphaël; Villa, Paolo Dalla; Serpell, James A.

doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2015.11.011

Cited by 59 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Improve dog welfareBody condition scoreYesStreet surveys of roaming dogsQuasi-experimental; Cross-sectionalNeutering, vaccination and return of roaming dogsIndia (Jodhpur), AsiaPeer-reviewed publication[16]Skin conditionYesClinical exam of dogs whilst in intervention clinicOpen woundsNo1. Improve dog welfareDog-dog aggressionNoVideo surveillance of roaming dogsExperimental; prospective cohortCastration of male dogsChile (Puerto Natales), S AmericaPeer-reviewed publication[22]Dog-human aggressionNoInterspecies aggressionNo1. Improve dog welfareBody condition scoreYesClinical exam of dogs whilst in intervention clinicObservational, no control group; repeated cross-sectionalNeutering, rehoming, basic vet care, euthanasiaUSA (Lakota Reservation), N AmericaConference presentation[14]Skin conditionYes2.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[20, 21]), we found only one example of measuring change in behaviour in roaming dog populations in response to dog population management interventions [22]. In Chile, Garde et al [22] measured dog-dog aggression, dog-human aggression and inter-species aggression in roaming dogs. There was no clear impact of the intervention (castration of males dogs) on behaviour.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This measure has not yet been tested for evaluation of intervention impact and is currently used only as a way of planning intervention implementation, in estimating of the number of dogs that can be picked up for neutering. As described previously, interaction between dogs and people on the street was used in Chile [22] but not found to differ with the intervention.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scoping review of indicators and methods of measurement used to evaluate the impact of dog population management interventions

et al. 2017

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BackgroundDogs are ubiquitous in human society and attempts to manage their populations are common to most countries. Managing dog populations is achieved through a range of interventions to suit the dog population dynamics and dog ownership characteristics of the location, with a number of potential impacts or goals in mind. Impact assessment provides the opportunity for interventions to identify areas of inefficiencies for improvement and build evidence of positive change.MethodsThis scoping review collates 26 studies that have assessed the impacts of dog population management interventions.ResultsIt reports the use of 29 indicators of change under 8 categories of impact and describes variation in the methods used to measure these indicators.ConclusionThe relatively few published examples of impact assessment in dog population management suggest this field is in its infancy; however this review highlights those notable exceptions. By describing those indicators and methods of measurement that have been reported thus far, and apparent barriers to efficient assessment, this review aims to support and direct future impact assessment.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scoping review of indicators and methods of measurement used to evaluate the impact of dog population management interventions

et al. 2017

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“…However, the impact of different DPM methods on bite incidence may not be easily predicted. An analysis of free-roaming male dog behavior changes following castration in Chile showed no reduction in overall aggression as a result of surgical sterilization, and a significant increase in dog-to-dog aggression as a result of chemical castration (32). …”

Section: What Are the Theoretical Benefits Of Dpm Programs For Rabiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Dog Population Management in Rabies Elimination—A Review of Current Approaches and Future Opportunities

et al. 2017

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Free-roaming dogs and rabies transmission are integrally linked across many low-income countries, and large unmanaged dog populations can be daunting to rabies control program planners. Dog population management (DPM) is a multifaceted concept that aims to improve the health and well-being of free-roaming dogs, reduce problems they may cause, and may also aim to reduce dog population size. In theory, DPM can facilitate more effective rabies control. Community engagement focused on promoting responsible dog ownership and better veterinary care could improve the health of individual animals and dog vaccination coverage, thus reducing rabies transmission. Humane DPM tools, such as sterilization, could theoretically reduce dog population turnover and size, allowing rabies vaccination coverage to be maintained more easily. However, it is important to understand local dog populations and community attitudes toward them in order to determine whether and how DPM might contribute to rabies control and which DPM tools would be most successful. In practice, there is very limited evidence of DPM tools achieving reductions in the size or turnover of dog populations in canine rabies-endemic areas. Different DPM tools are frequently used together and combined with rabies vaccinations, but full impact assessments of DPM programs are not usually available, and therefore, evaluation of tools is difficult. Surgical sterilization is the most frequently documented tool and has successfully reduced dog population size and turnover in a few low-income settings. However, DPM programs are mostly conducted in urban settings and are usually not government funded, raising concerns about their applicability in rural settings and sustainability over time. Technical demands, costs, and the time necessary to achieve population-level impacts are major barriers. Given their potential value, we urgently need more evidence of the effectiveness of DPM tools in the context of canine rabies control. Cheaper, less labor-intensive tools for dog sterilization will be extremely valuable in realizing the potential benefits of reduced population turnover and size. No one DPM tool will fit all situations, but if DPM objectives are achieved dog populations may be stabilized or even reduced, facilitating higher dog vaccination coverages that will benefit rabies elimination efforts.

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“…Male dogs can also be sterilized to reduce population numbers, but targeting females is more practical and effective. Furthermore, a recent study examining the effect of both surgical and chemical sterilization on behaviours of free-roaming male dogs in Chile found that while surgical castration resulted in no reduction in aggression or sexual activity, chemical sterilization actually led to an increase in dog-directed aggression of male dogs and produced no change in sexual activity (1).…”

Section: Implementation Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Northern innovation in rabies prevention and control: The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) dog population management pilot project

Lidstone-Jones¹,

Gagnon²

2016

Can Commun Dis Rep

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Effects of surgical and chemical sterilization on the behavior of free-roaming male dogs in Puerto Natales, Chile

Cited by 59 publications

References 35 publications

Scoping review of indicators and methods of measurement used to evaluate the impact of dog population management interventions

Scoping review of indicators and methods of measurement used to evaluate the impact of dog population management interventions

The Role of Dog Population Management in Rabies Elimination—A Review of Current Approaches and Future Opportunities

Northern innovation in rabies prevention and control: The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) dog population management pilot project

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