Novelo-Sanguino A, Jiménez-Coello M, Segura-Correa J C, Ortega-Pacheco A
Department of Animal Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
Biomedical Unit, Regional Research Center "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
Vet Med Int. 2025 Jun 2;2025:5479606. doi: 10.1155/vmi/5479606. eCollection 2025.
The present study generated evidence on the population of stray dogs in the city of Mérida Yucatán, Mexico. The sighting method was used using the "count within a selected block" method recommended by the World Society for the Protection of Animals. For the sample size, 21 blocks were randomly selected from the city. The calculation of the density of the dogs was obtained considering the extension of 186.24 km of the city, and the characteristics of the dogs were evaluated through direct observation. The same protocol was performed 1 year later. The estimated number of dogs was 4764 ± 478 in 2022 and later increased to 7650 ± 779 in 2023 ( < 0.006). The density of the dog population in 2022 was 25.6 ± 2.6 animals/km, with a dog-human ratio of 0.5:100. In 2023, a population density of 41.1 ± 4.3 animals/km and a dog-human ratio of 0.8:100 were obtained. This significant increase may be due to more food availability and capacity to achieve a successful reproduction in the first year of observation. However, bias may be considered when using any counting methodology of stray dogs since their mobility may be intensely variable. The male-female ratio was 2.4:1 for 2022 and 2.3:1 for the year 2023. Most of the dogs were adults, of mixed breed, and with solitary behaviour in both years. The body condition in 2022 was predominantly ideal, with a significant decrease in 2023 ( < 0.001) probably because of the increased number and competence for food when the second evaluation was performed. When comparing the population according to the areas of the city, the southern area had a higher proportion of thin dogs in both years, with an increase of up to 30% ( < 0.001) by 2023. The presence of dermatological conditions in the dogs increased from 4% in 2022 to 15% in 2023 ( < 0.001). It is concluded that the number and characteristics of stray dogs studied presented changes over a year time probably because of the carrying capacity of the environment, with differences between areas of the city, particularly in lower socioeconomical areas.
本研究得出了关于墨西哥尤卡坦州梅里达市流浪狗数量的证据。采用了世界动物保护协会推荐的“在选定街区内计数”的目击法。对于样本量，从该市随机选取了21个街区。考虑到该市186.24公里的范围计算出狗的密度，并通过直接观察对狗的特征进行评估。一年后执行相同的方案。2022年估计的狗数量为4764±478只，后来在2023年增加到7650±779只（<0.006）。2022年狗的种群密度为25.6±2.6只/公里，人与狗的比例为0.5:100。2023年，种群密度为41.1±4.3只/公里，人与狗的比例为0.8:100。这种显著增加可能是由于在观察的第一年有更多的食物供应以及成功繁殖的能力。然而，使用任何流浪狗计数方法时都可能存在偏差，因为它们的流动性可能变化很大。2022年雌雄比例为2.4:1，2023年为2.3:1。在这两年中，大多数狗是成年的、混血的，且行为孤僻。2022年身体状况主要为理想状态，2023年显著下降（<0.001），这可能是因为在进行第二次评估时狗的数量增加以及对食物的竞争加剧。按城市区域比较种群时，南部区域在这两年中瘦狗的比例较高，到2023年增加了高达30%（<0.001）。狗的皮肤病发病率从2022年的4%增加到2023年的15%（<0.001）。得出的结论是，所研究的流浪狗的数量和特征在一年时间内出现了变化，这可能是由于环境承载能力，且城市不同区域存在差异，特别是在社会经济较低的区域。
