Evaluation of Dynamics, Demography and Estimation of Free-Roaming Dog Population in Herat City, Afghanistan

Understanding the demography, population size, and dynamics of free-roaming dogs (FRD) is essential for developing an effective dog-population-management and rabies-control programme. The existence of an uncontrolled FRD population in Herat, Afghanistan, is causing threats to public health and has raised concerns for their welfare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic structures and estimate the FRD population size in Herat city, Afghanistan. The photographic sight-resight method utilized and human-to-FRD ratio in this study yielded a density of 10 dogs/km2 and an estimated ratio of 315:1. Dogs were predominantly adult males with a good health status and ideal body-condition score. The knowledge of FRD demography and population size provided by this study could be used by the local government for much more effective planning, implementation and monitoring of dog-population-control programmes. FRDs pose a serious challenge in countries where dog-bite-related rabies is endemic. Understanding the size and core demographic characteristics of FRD populations is essential for the planning and implementation of effective dog-population and canine-rabies-control programmes. The photographic sight-resight method was used to estimate the FRD population and evaluate its demographic characteristics in Herat city. A total of 928 free-roaming dogs (FRD) were identified through 3172 sightings, and the total free-roaming population was estimated to amount to 1821 (95% CI: 1565-2077), which led to the estimation of 10 dogs/km2 and the human-to-FRD ratio of 315:1. The male-to-female ratio was 2.85:1. The majority of them were healthy, with an ideal body score. Although the FRD density is considered low, it is still a concern and significant, since the majority of the people are unaware of the importance of canine populations in the transmission of zoonotic diseases such as rabies, and there were no specific measures for managing and controlling FRD populations. The information gained can be useful in animal health planning to design effective dog-population-control programmes, and for the planning of national rabies-prevention programmes.