Tayebwa Dickson Stuart, Ssekandi Colin, Nalubwama Sylvia, Dankaine Rogers, Lutebemberwa Isa, Rashid Njalira Kassim, Komugisha Mariam, Bwambale Kelvin, Katumba Hannington, Katerega John, Muhangi Denis, Biryomumaisho Savino, Tweyongyere Robert, Acai James Okwee
Department of Veterinary Pharmacy Clinical and Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Department of Livestock and Industrial Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2024 Oct 9:1-13. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2024.2411553.
We analyzed dog care practices among 1,006 owners in urban and rural areas in Uganda to identify the root causes of roaming. The dog owners were mostly male, aged 20-39 years, and low-income earners. Each household in urban areas had an average of 2.36 dogs (SD 3.35), and 2.35 dogs (SD 2.18) in rural areas. We determined that 16.1% of urban dogs and 29.4% of rural dogs roamed during the day, with numbers rising to 26.0% and 65.2% at night ( < 0.001), due to dogs being released at night for security purposes. Key drivers of roaming included inadequate confinement, particularly the lack of a secure enclosure around homes, underfeeding and abandonment. These issues were linked to poverty, low education and poor attitudes. Our findings provide a foundation for developing tailored strategies to control free-roaming dogs (FRD) in Uganda. Short-term solutions include implementing fines for owners who allow their dogs to roam, subsidized dog sterilization, and public education programs. Long-term strategies should involve policies on dog ownership, registration, breeding, and research to develop evidence-based control measures for FRD.
我们分析了乌干达城乡地区1006名狗主人的养狗行为，以确定狗四处游荡的根本原因。狗主人大多为男性，年龄在20至39岁之间，且收入较低。城市地区每户平均养2.36只狗（标准差3.35），农村地区每户平均养2.35只狗（标准差2.18）。我们确定，16.1%的城市狗和29.4%的农村狗白天会四处游荡，夜间这一比例分别升至26.0%和65.2%（<0.001），原因是出于安全目的在夜间将狗放出来。狗四处游荡的主要驱动因素包括圈养不足，尤其是房屋周围缺乏安全的围栏、喂食不足和被遗弃。这些问题与贫困、低教育水平和不良态度有关。我们的研究结果为制定适合乌干达情况的控制流浪狗策略奠定了基础。短期解决方案包括对允许狗四处游荡的主人实施罚款、补贴狗绝育以及开展公众教育项目。长期策略应涉及狗的所有权、登记、繁殖政策以及开展研究，以制定基于证据的流浪狗控制措施。
