Important Considerations for Implementing Oral Rabies Vaccination of Free-roaming Dogs in Thailand Urban Communities
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Abstract
This article challenges scientific research lacking social perspective and the conventional assumption that only humans have emotions and can think. Sixty free-roaming dogs from three Thailand provinces including Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, and Prachuap Khiri Khan were investigated by integrating human and animal studies and ethological framework. Three types of free-roaming dogs identified were dogs with owners, community dogs, and free-ranging dogs. The study found that dogs with owners mostly received vaccination whereas only half of the community dogs did receive them, and free-ranging dogs had neither vaccination nor sterilization. Offering Oral Rabies Vaccine (ORVs) via baits was possible only for community dogs if taste and type of baits were similar to existing local food. Nonetheless, the dogs only accepted baits from familiar voluntary feeders with specific characteristics and conditions, including the middle-aged to elderly woman, speaking in low-pitched voice, keeping distance 1-2 meters apart while placing baits, having no eye contact, and dominant or aggressive behavior during handing out baits. The mutual obligation between dogs and feeders is based on trust and emotional connectivity. Nonetheless, applying ORVs to community dogs was time consuming and required sufficient volunteers to observe their eating behaviors. Social stratification in the group allows alphas dogs to overtake ORVs resulting young female dogs few opportunities to reach the baits.
Keywords: Oral Rabies Vaccines (ORVs), Community Dogs, Free-roaming Dogs
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