Free-roaming dog population dynamics in Ranchi, India

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• Animal Ecology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Rabies causes ~20,000 human deaths annually in India, primarily from dog bites.
• Eliminating rabies relies on mass dog vaccination, but India's large free-roaming dog population presents challenges.
• Understanding free-roaming dog ecology is crucial for effective rabies vaccination strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze data from mass dog vaccination and neutering campaigns in Ranchi, India.
• To estimate the annual loss rate of neutered free-roaming dogs.
• To assess the overall population dynamics and decline over three years.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mobile phone application data from three annual mass vaccination and neutering campaigns.
• Applied novel analytical approaches to estimate dog loss rates between campaigns.
• Calculated annual vaccination, neutering, and re-sight observation numbers.

Main Results:

• High annual losses of neutered dogs were observed, ranging from 25.3% to 55.8%.
• The total free-roaming dog population declined by an estimated 12.58% over three years.
• Despite extensive neutering, the population decline was modest, indicating high dog turnover.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant annual turnover in the free-roaming dog population in India.
• Current mass neutering and vaccination strategies may need adjustments due to high loss rates.
• Further research into the demographics of unowned dogs is essential for effective rabies control.