Gender, sterilization and environment impacts on free-roaming dogs
Information concerning the factors affecting the circulation and distribution of free-roaming dogs is crucial in developing control actions and limiting the spread of zoonosis. The present study analyzes the influence of gender, sterilization, and environment on the spatial distribution of free-roaming dogs in urban settings.
Animals were captured and recaptured in seven consecutive morning sampling efforts conducted at two-monthly intervals in control and intervention areas in southeastern Brazil. Capture locations were georeferenced and captured animals were microchipped before being released at their original capture sites.
Dogs captured in the intervention area were subjected to surgical sterilization prior to release. Home range (HR) areas was calculated for dogs that had been captured at least three times. Land coverage zones were determined from satellite images and overlaid on maps of the study areas along with the locations of twenty-two commercial food outlets.
Home range areas showed a global mean and median values that were smaller to those reported previously for dogs in rural regions. The median home range of females was higher than that of males, while median home ranges of animals in the control and intervention areas were similar. Variability of home range was high, although small home ranges were most common.
Free-roaming dogs grouped primarily in urbanized and transitional regions, and their spatial distribution was positively correlated with locations of commercial food outlets. While sterilization did not influence home range size, the search for food was a key factor in determining mobility and spatial aggregation of free-roaming dogs.
These findings are pertinent in understanding the ecology of free-roaming dogs in urban environments and can be applied to promote animal welfare and prevent the dissemination of zoonosis.
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Gender, sterilization and environment impacts on free-roaming dogs
