Who let the dogs out? Exploring the spatial ecology of free-roaming domestic dogs in western Kenya

Muinde, P, Bettridge, J, Sousa, F.M., Durr, S, Dohoo, IR, Berezowski, J, Mutwiri, T, Odinga, CO, Fevre, Eric and Falzon, Laura (2021) Who let the dogs out? Exploring the spatial ecology of free-roaming domestic dogs in western Kenya. [Data Collection]

Data Catalogue DOI: 10.17638/datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/1230

Description

The spatial ecology of free-roaming dogs determines their role in the transmission of zoonoses. This study describes the geographic range of, and identifies sites frequently visited by free-roaming domestic dogs in western Kenya. Eight sites in Busia county, western Kenya, were selected. At each site, ten dog-keeping households were recruited, a questionnaire was administered, and a GPS logger was fixed around the neck of one dog in each household. Loggers were programmed to capture the dog’s position every minute, for five consecutive days. Individual summaries of GPS recordings were produced and the daily distance travelled was calculated. 50% and 95% utilization distribution isopleths were produced, and the area within these isopleths were extracted to estimate the size of the core and extended Home Ranges (HRs), respectively. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the movement parameters. The centroid points of the 10, 50, and 90% isopleths were reproduced and the corresponding sites identified on the ground. Seventy-three dogs were included in the final analyses. The median daily distance travelled was 13.5km, while the median core and extended HRs were 0.4 and 9.3 ha, respectively. Older dogs had a larger extended HR and travelled more daily, while the effect of sex on dog movement depended on their neutering status. Dogs spent most of their time at their household; other frequently visited sites included other household compounds, fields, and rubbish dumps. One of the centroids corresponded to a field located across the international Kenya-Uganda border, emphasising the fluidity across the border in this ecosystem. Multiple dogs visited the same location, highlighting the heterogeneous contact networks between dogs, and between dogs and people. The field data presented are of value both in understanding domestic dog ecology and resource utilisation, and in contextualizing infectious and parasitic disease transmission models.

Keywords:

Canis lupus familiaris; Habitat Utilization; Home Range; Kenya; Roaming behaviour; Utilization Distribution; Zoonoses

Divisions:

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Depositing User:

Eric Fevre

Date Deposited:

01 Feb 2021 10:59

Last Modified:

01 Feb 2021 10:59

DOI:

10.17638/datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/1230