Abundance of stray dogs in a vulnerable neighborhood of Buenos Aires city during 2020

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Unowned dog populations in urbanized areas are one of the problems faced by public health, since as potentialtransmitters of zoonoses they represent a risk to people. In order to address these situations, it is vital to have information on the abundance ofpopulations allowing the development of health promotion programs. The objective of this work was to determine the abundance and compositionof the stray dog population in a vulnerable neighborhood of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. METHODS: Three photographic capturerecapture methods (Petersen, Schnabel and Schumacher-Eschmeyer) were used for the analysis of abundance, sex and body condition score of thepopulation. RESULTS: With the Petersen method, an abundance of 282 (236-396) dogs was obtained; with that of Schnabel, of 359 (290-475); andwith that of Schumacher-Eschmeyer, of 378 (265-662). According to this study, 50.5% of the dogs were female, 48% had a regular body conditionscore, 35% had a good condition and 16% were obese. DISCUSSION: The abundance values obtained pose a risk for the inhabitants living in theneighborhood because of the high probability of disease transmission and injuries due to bites. To reduce the abundance values of this type ofpopulations, it is crucial to implement surgical sterilization campaigns and promote responsible animal ownership practices.