Pet bylaws and posthumanist health promotion: a case study of urban policy

Abstract

Dog walking enables physical activity and positive social interactions, but uncontrolled dogs as well as dog feces can foster conflict and deter physical activity, for both dog owners and nonowners. This case study shows that previously reported associations with dogs (both positive and negative) can be linked to the wording and the day-to-day implementation of, or incompliance with, local governments' bylaws on pets. In this example of posthumanist health promotion, the policy goal is to optimize the overall impact on wellbeing of pet animals. Analytically, the case study draws together insights from actor-network theory, Foucault's theory of governmentality, Bourdieu's theory of habitus, and anthrozoology (i.e. the study of human-animal interactions as well as related ideas and norms). Posthumanist health promotion is a theoretically informed approach that can assist in developing policy and implementation strategies, not only on pets but on a range of topics.

Public health ethics and more-than-human solidarity

“…In the absence of regular access to sterilisation surgeries and other veterinary services, and given the potential for dogs to represent a threat and nuisance within northern communities, the main intervention consists of killing dogs by shooting them (Brook et al, 2010). Dogs are also routinely tethered outdoors in northern Canada (Brook et al, 2010), a practice which is no longer legal in other parts of Canada due to concerns about nuisance and animal welfare (Rock, 2013). A recent RbV case dramatically illustrated the implications of this situation for public health and ethics.…”

“…Even in places where RbV is entirely absent or extremely rare in dogs, local bylaws still allow for free-roaming dogs to be impounded and killed (Rock, 2013;Wadiwel, 2009). Indeed, two littermates of the adopted puppy had been killed under local bylaws on free-roaming dogs before authorities in the community of origin had received notification of the RbV case (Catalina Mema et al, 2012).…”

“…The would-be rescuers and the eventual adopters of the rabid puppy intended for this animal to grow up in a place that is widely-regarded as a "model city" for co-promoting health for people and pets (Rock, 2013). Benefits include physical activity for dogs and dog-walkers, and a heightened sense of community among frequent dog-walkers (Degeling et al, 2012;Lail et al, 2011;McCormack et al, 2011;Toohey et al, 2013).…”

“…More precisely, in response to concerns about RbV, wealthier and bettereducated segments of the English population endorsed dog-leashing over muzzling (Howell, 2012), which they viewed as overly intrusive and deleterious to the welfare of their dogs (Pemberton & Worboys, 2013). The spread of a normative expectation and legal requirement to supervise and leash dogs whenever in public has meant that free-roaming dogs are no longer allowed by law or tolerated in practice throughout much of the world, even in places where canine RbV is absent or unlikely (Borthwick, 2009;Rock, 2013).…”

Posthumanist critique and human health: how nonhumans (could) figure in public health research

“…However, public health research has not engaged with the posthumanist scholarship to date. We conducted a search of the terms 'posthuman' and 'public health' in Web of Science, and found only two entries; both articles were published in Critical Public Health and were written by the same lead author (Rock, 2013;Rock, Degeling, & Blue, 2014). As a point of comparison, a search in Web of Science for 'posthuman' within the social sciences and humanities resulted in 587 articles published between 2010 and 2014.…”