Descriptive profile of a rural canine population in Juerana Village, Aritaguá district, city of Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 2012.

Abstract

In rural communities, dogs provide important and essential roles, such as hunters, companions and security. Often, dog owners lack sufficient knowledge of canine management or are indifferent to their dogs’ well-being resulting in the spread of diseases to human, animal and the surrounding environment. A semi-structured questionnaire survey was taken, in March 2012, in order to determine the canine population profile of Juerana Village, the socio-economic profile of the dog owners and evaluate and analyze whether owners are applying the principles of responsible dog care. The data revealed the dog-to-human ratio was 1:3,7, 53% were female dogs, 79% were young dogs, 71% were semi-restricted dogs, 71% of dogs access to interior of the family house, 45,1% of the household received minimum salary or less. The results indicate that the management of the dogs was inadequate and the need for Public Health Services to implement a dog population control program and zoonotic diseases prevention and control programs in this community.