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Science Journal of Agricultural Research & Management
ISSN:2276-8572
http://www.sjpub.org/sjpsych.html
© Author(s) 2011. CC Attribution 3.0 License.
Research Article
Published By
Science Journal Publication
International Open Access Publis her
Volume 2012 (2012), Issue 2
POST-WAR DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DOG POPULATIONS AND THEIR HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
IN SIERRA LEONE. (A CASE STUDY OF URBAN FREETOWN)
¹Mr. Roland Suluku
²Mr. Ibrahim Abu-Bakarr
²Mr. Jonathan Johnny
³Prof F. Jonsyn-Ellis
¹Department of Animal Science, Njala University, Sierra Leone
²Department of Wildlife Management, Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation
Njala University, Sierra Leone
²Department of Wildlife Management, Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation
Njala University, Sierra Leone
Accepted 25th March, 2012
ABSTRACT
³Department of Biological Sciences,School of Environmental Sciences
Njala University ,Sierra Leone.
transportation. As stated by Boris .M. Levinson, (1969a),
humansinitially domesticated the dog to meet theirown
psychological needs, assist in Labour and also provide food.
This research conducted on 900 dog-owning households
randomly selected in urban Freetown investigated dog
population and ecology, and how they relate with human
populations, with regards to rabies. Pre-tested
questionnaires designed according to World Health
Organization standards were administered from Allen town
in the east to Juba hills in the west. Area measurements
using prescribed methods were done in the east, central and
west of Freetown.Dog population was obtained by counting
the number of dogs in the three clusters..Results obtained
revealed anestimated total dog population of 13,246 with a
ratio of 1:14 dogs to humans respectively., Life expectancy
of dogs was 3-4years, although some lived up to 7 years and
above.More maleswere involved in dog rearing than
females. Although 72% of dog owners are skilled income
earners, however, 81% do not feed their dogs with canned
food; hence 88% don't know the cost of feeding their dogs.
Approximately, 44% of households allow their dogs to
scavenge garbage dumps and to mix with other dogs.Most
dogs (77%) are owned by parents, mainly for security
purposes, but 59% do not monitor or register their dogs
with veterinary clinics and the Ministry of Health and
Sanitation. Lack of care and attention accounted for 78% of
dog mortality; hence dog owners need to pay closer
attention in the management of their dogs to reduce the
incidence of dog bites and rabies for a healthy co-existence
with them.
KEYWORD: Dog,Survey,Questionnaire
INTRODUCTION
The relationship between man and dog Canis lupus familaris
is multi-faceted dating as farback as 13000 years before the
birth of Christ (Morey and Darcy, 2006). Originally, dogs
provided food and companionship, and later, dogs assisted
with other human activities including hunting, herding and
Throughout history, the bond established between humans
and dogs has elevated their position and contribution to
society to include more service oriented functions including
assisting the deaf and blind, detective work, search and
rescue work (at sea and land), therapy dogs, war dogs and
livestock guarding. Humans have manipulated the breeding
lines of dogs for centuries to establish specific colors, sizes,
and personality traits that have utilized for sporting events
and exhibitions to demonstrate proficiency in agility, racing,
and sledding.Domestic dogs have followed and continue to
follow the migration of man and can be found in nearly every
part of the world where human beings live.The purpose of
keeping dogs varies within and across individual
communities and can include companionship,
transportation, security, food acquisition and religious
beliefs (Hart La, 1995a).Man in turn provides protection,
companionship and accommodation and a regular source of
food for dogs. These mutual benefits have built a trusting
relationship throughout history between dogs and people
and ultimately have made life easier for both. (McGourty,
2002). In Sierra Leone, where 63% of the human population
(National Statistics Sierra Leone, 2006) lives in rural areas,
the major activity is subsistence farming. Here, dogs are
used mainly for hunting. In urban areas of the country, dogs
are mainly kept for guarding property. A few people in both
rural and urban communities keep dogs for both
companionship and as pets. Hunting dogs are used to deter
pests from destroying crops, and acquiring bush meat for
human consumption. Although many societies derive
significant benefits from their associations with dogs, dogs
can also pose significant public health risk to humans (Talan
DA et al, 1999; Wandeler AI, Bingham J, 2000; Weiss HB
1998). The transmission of rabies virus from dogs to
humans undoubtedly carries the most serious threat and
severe consequences. Dogs are the most important
reservoirs of rabies virus in many parts of the world,
Corresponding Author: Mr. Roland Suluku
Department of Animal Science, Nja la University, Sierra Leone
Email:rsuluku642@gmail.com
Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
Page 2
particularly in Africa south of the Sahara. No diagnostic or
laboratory confirmation of rabies has being conducted in
Sierra Leone after 1974, due to a lack of the necessary
infrastructure. In many parts of the world, owned and
unsupervised dogs have easy access to contaminated waste,
which is fed to them by their owners, or which they find
around slaughter houses or butcher markets. This free range
scavenging exposes dogs to disease and they can become
infected with parasites, such as Echinococcus granulose, and
subsequently expose people to cystic echinococcosis
(Ouhelli et al, 1997). As in other animals, dogs harbour a
great variety of macro parasites, microorganisms and
viruses. A large proportion of these infectious agents that
are disseminated among, and carried by dogs, are also
harmful to man. Daily interactions between unsupervised
dogs, either during mating, casual interaction or playing,
provide opportunities for rabies virus and other pathogens
to be transferred to man and other animals (Wandeler et al,
1993). During the eleven year old civil war (1991-2002)
inSierra Leone, a large proportion of the human population
was internally displaced. Whitfield J, (2003) confirmed that
the war displaced nearly half of the population. Many people
moved from rural areas to Freetown, increasing the
population from one million (1,000,000) to two million five
hundred thousand (2,500, 000). This lead to high incidence
of crime in the city compelling most residents to buy and
rear dogs for security purposes. Koroma A.M, (2009)
reported that analysis of police statistics between 1998 and
2006 showed a clear increase in the crime rate in Sierra
Leone, with the western area, (Freetown), recording the
highest number of incidents (32,305),compared to the
Eastern (7,182),Northern (9,503) and Southern (4,019)
provinces. This number dropped slightly in 2001 for the
western area to 31,009.The overall effect of the increased
crime rate and war was a net increase in human and dog
population in urban Freetown that ultimately resulted in an
increase in the number of garbage dumps, displaced human
population and refugee camps in and around Freetown. The
expanding garbage dumps, dilapidated and burned houses,
and broken vehicles, became an ideal resting places for
unsupervised dogs to reproduce and multiply, which acted
as an incentive for owned dogs to join them. Weak
implementation of government policy and little concern for
dogs enabled them to establish their own territory where
they lived freely among the human population. The evidence
indicates that the relationship between man and dog,
particularly in the capital, requires an in depth study, to
examine the increasing dog population. The practical
importance of collecting data on dog populations is a
prerequisite for developing a strategy for animal disease
control and vaccination campaigns and for ecological and
epidemiological studies that could be replicated in other
parts of the country. The objective of this research was to
establish baseline demographic and ecological data of the
dog population in Urban Freetown for use by public health
and veterinary officers in planning rabies control programs,
and to improve the relationship between man and dogs in
Freetown, and the country as a whole. Further studies will
be conducted in other regions to compare the results
obtained.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
STUDY AREA IN URBAN FREETOWN
The survey was conducted in the Urban District of the
Western area of Freetown in Sierra Leone, starting from
Allen town in the east to Juba hills in the west. Because they
arethe politically demarcated boundary between the urban
and rural district of Freetown, the study area was chosen
because of the high number of reported cases of dog bites
in police stations and treatment centers at veterinary clinics
from these areas (personal interview). The western area is
divided into two districts; (urban and rural) and the survey
was conducted in the Greater District known as Urban
Freetown. The sample area (82 km2), with a population of
746,000 people, was divided into three clusters (East
=449,479, West =245,749 andCentral=69,256) based on the
2004 population census conducted by National Central
Statistics of Sierra Leone. A total of 900 households, 300
from each cluster owning dogs, were randomly selected.A
short structured questionnaire, according to World Health
Organization standards (WHO, 1999) were administered to
every fifth house on a street within each cluster. If no dogs
were found in that house or compound, the next fifth house
was selected until all houses on the street are
exhausted.Thesequestions were pre-testedand found to be
appropriate for the survey Three separate areas within each
cluster were selected and the number of dogs counted .The
number of dogs counted and the area measured was used
to estate the number of dogs per sampled area. The figures
obtained were projected against the actual population of
sampled area to provide an estimate of the total number of
dogs in the study area. Area measurement was
accomplished using metric measuring tape, a ranging pole,
and pegs. The average measured area was 0.13 km2. The
human population in the measured area was confirmed by
counting the number of persons present in the house hold
or compound. The human population obtained in the
measured area in each cluster was added and divided by the
number of clusters to obtain the average human population
in the measured area. The number of dogs in the measured
area was also divided by three to obtain an average number
of dogs in the sampled area. The average number of people
divided by the average number of dogs gave an estimate of
the ratio of dogs to humansin measured areas. Human
density in sampled areas was obtained from (82 km2)
estimated on a scale of 1:125,000 km maps and the
aggregate population was obtained from the 2004 Sierra
Leone National Population Census. The data collected were
analyzed using the Statistics Package for Social Scientist
(SPSS). These were then presented in the form of tables, to
enhance explanation of results.
Page 3
Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
QUESTIONAIRE SURVEY
The World Health Organizations standard was used as the
basis for designing the rabies questionnaire for the house
hold survey (WHO/WSPA1990).Respondents owning dogs
were asked their names, age, sex and religion; their
occupations and salary range. Households without dogs
were not interviewed. All households interviewed were
asked the names of the areas where they lived, number of
years spent in locality, number of dependants and dogs
owned. The 900 questionnaires administered were
retrieved after the survey was conducted and were
subsequently analyzed.
DOG MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
House hold information on dog habitats included: food,
water and shelter, and dog management practices. House
hold families owning dogs were asked if they fed their dogs,
types of food given to the dogs and frequency of feeding.
Respondents were also asked if dogs were fed from the
family meal or dependent on it, and the presence of garbage
dumps in the area. All respondents were asked about the
methods they used to feed their dogs, and if their dogs had
access to garbage dumps in and out of their compounds, and
if dog owners used special feeding/eating plates.
Households owning dogs were asked if they provided water
for their animals on a daily basis, the type of water provided,
if this water was provided in a drinking trough, and if they
had streams or rivers in their vicinity. Respondents were
also asked about the places where dogs are housed or slept,
and if they provided sleeping places or shelter for their dogs.
All were asked about the presence of unfinished houses and
abandoned vehicles in the area. Surveyors were given 10
questionnaires each to administer to ten dog-owning family
household in each section.
INDIVIDUAL DOG DATA
Dog-owning house hold families were asked which member
of the family owned the dogs, the major purpose of rearing
the dogs, if they were confined or fenced, how dogs were
kept and how many puppies were produced per year, and
the number of survivals and deaths per year. Additional
information included the reproductive performance of
female dogs, and the ratio of male to females dogs. House
hold families were asked about the ages of their dogs, the
age of the oldest dog, how the families disposed of their
waste, and the type of toilet used by the family. Families
were also asked if they would like to own more dogs?, and
if they had observed unsupervised/unowned dogs in their
communities.
DOG HEALTH AND MORTALITY DATA
Dog owning households were asked if dogs were registered,
by what organization, if the dogs taken for treatment, and
where they were treated. Dog owners were queried about
rabies in their compound or surrounding areas.
Respondents were also asked about the causes of death, if
signs before death were similar to those of rabies, and how
many dogs have died of rabies. All were asked about the age
that recorded the highest mortality.
Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
Page 4
DOG HUMAN RELATIOHSHIP
Dog human relationship data were collected from
respondents in all of the clusters. Respondents were ask ed
if their dogs were restricted or confined, the number of dogs
in the family, compound and per house hold, average life
expectancy of dogs reared, average age range in the
population, and number of births per year per female. House
hold families were also asked about the ratio of male to
female per birth, estimated human and dog population, the
number of dogs in the neighborhood and percentage of dogs
owned.
RESULTS
Table 1 represents the social economic data of respondents.
A total of 900 dog owning households were interviewed
between the 2nd -4th June, 2008, of which 512(57%) were
males and 388(35%) female. Within these dog owning
families, 583(65%) were Christians and 317(35%)
Muslims. This figure is contrary to the Sierra Leone Muslim
Atlas 2004, which show that about 75% of the population
are Muslim and nearly 25% are Christians. A breakdown of
dog ownership in the study area shows revealed that 46%
of households owned one dog, 29% owned two dogs,16%
owned four dogs and 9% owned six dogs and above.
The ecology and habitat of dogs refers to the basic facilities
dog owners provide for their animals, such as food, water
and shelter. This is represented in Table 2.Seventy-four
percent of the respondents (692) reported that they fed
their dogs with kitchen left oversor household refuse, and
allow them to feed on garbage. The majority of peoplehad a
source of income, but this is not reflected in their
expenditure on feeding dogs. The majority of dog owners
88 %( 796) do not know how much they spend on their dogs
per week, 7% spend US$3.0 a week and 3% spend
U$6.0.Data regarding the methods of feeding dogs reveal
that 626(70%) partly feed their dogs whilst 17% of dogs in
turn complements the effort of their owner by scavenging.
Only 121(13%) fed their dogs daily in confinement, and of
these, 579(64%) placed the food in plates and 321 (36%)
do not. During feeding,69% provide tap water and 31% of
dogs find a source of water for themselves. The majority of
people(66%) provide shelter for their dogs. However, one
third of dog owners donot provide shelter 34 %( 307).The
type of shelter provided include kennels12 %( 109) but
some of these dogs sleep on the streets in front of their
compound 18%(166),whilst the rest co-habit with their
owners 625(69%).
In this study, 77% of dogs are owned by parents (father 420
and mother275) and17% by children. Dogs were owned
mainly for security purposes 81% (731), which explains
why a large percentage of the dogs were owned by parents
and only few as pets for children A small percentage claimed
to use dogs as food (0.4%).Most of these dogs spend part of
their time scavenging in garbage dumps and back yard for
food, and return later after scavenging on these sites, whilst
the others stay permanently on their own around these
sites. Most people use dust bins to dispose of household
refuse 53 %( 476), whilst 14 %( 125) throw house hold
refuse directly into garbage dump, but 25 %(221) use plastic
bags. Most interviewed stated that they see stray dogs in
their communities represented by 630(70%), as seen in
Table 3.
Table 4 shows the canine and human relationship. Most
residents in urban Freetown do not register their dogs
547(61%). People who have registered their dogs are those
who received free rabies vaccination from SLAWS,
represented by 55 % (494). Most people refuse to take their
dogs for rabies vaccination 45% (406). The non-compliance
of people to vaccinate their dogs is due to their lack of
knowledge about rabies, 74 %( 662), whilst those who know
about it represent 26%(238).The life expectancy of dogs
in study area varies from one to three years 40.0%(360).On
average they can live for between four to seven years and
above 44% (398).Most of the dogs were between the age of
four to six 45%(402), and one to three years 33%(298)
DISCUSSION
After the cessation of hostilities, manypeople returned with
few dogs, whilst others left their dogs behind with no one
to care for them. These categories of dogs, combined with
unsupervised dogs, led to an increase in dog populations in
Freetown. Similar increases in dog population also occurred
during the gulf war in Israel, when in January 1991,
residents of metropolitan Tel Aviv area evacuated their
home and abandoned their pets (Shimshony. A 1997) .With
decrease in human population and reduction in the number
of garbage sites, ownerless and unsupervised dogs now had
limited feeding areas, and were forced to move from house
to house in search of food. They consume all available food
that they come in contact with. Children are the most
vulnerable category of people who easily predispose
themselves to diseases transmitted by dogs. In some
instances, these dogs eat with children from the same basin
or lick their hands, wounds and mouth, thus increasing the
possibility to contract the rabies virus. Children are thus at
high risk to contract rabies and are serious victims of dog
bite in Tanzania (Knobel et al 2005) and America (Overall
1998). Most of the respondents who rear dogs are between
the age ranges of 1-64 years, representing the active
population. It was however shown that the old (mature)
people owned and rear more dogs (45.2%) than their
children (43.8%). This is probably attributed to the fact that
most parents rear dogs mainly for security reason,
particularly so during the war. The low percentage of
children involved in dog rearing is probably because most
parents or homes do not rear dogs as pets. Active old people
above 65 years also rear dogs maybe for companionship. It
was also observed that men (56.9%)were more involved in
dog rearing than their female (43.1%)counterparts. Men
being the head of most household could be responsible for
this. Aside from this, studies have revealed an association
between adult gender composition of household and dog
ownership. For example, in Kuwait, males were reported of
having positive attitude towards dogs than females (Al-
Fayez et al. 2003) whereas, for the semi rural communities
in United Kingdom (Westgarth C et al.2007) and several
North American and European countries (Bagley DK and
Gonsman VL 2005), adult females were more associated
with dog ownership. Although about 70% of the population
in Sierra Leone are muslims, this was however, not reflected
Page 5
Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
in the survey conducted where 64.8% of respondents were
christians and 35.2% were muslims. Most muslims
interviewed indicated that they do notraise dogs because
they are filthy and impure while othersindicated that dogs
shed their hair on praying mats hence, making their prayers
invalid. Some however, maintained that they rear dogs due
to security reasons. Religious beliefs about not wanting dogs
are no longer effective in pastoral settlements, where
livestock ownership encourages people to own more dogs
(Foltz RC 2005). Owning dogs is not a major religious issue
in Sierra Leone. Like many other countries in the world, such
as Zimbabwe, there is religious tolerance regarding dog
ownership The majority of the people interviewed
wasskilled (71.7%) and are engaged in income generation
activities whereas 13% are unskilled, and 15.4% are traders.
This indicates that most dog owners have asource of income
and have the capacity to feed their animals this is not
however, reflected in the management of dogs as most
people hardly budget for their animals and no special diet
is provided for them. A number of American studies have
shown relationship between dog ownership and household
income (Wise and Kushman 1984). The majority (43.0%)
of the people haddependants between the age range 1-
9years (37.6%). This shows that there is a high dependency
rate, which explains why some families budget little money
for their dogs. The majority of respondents interviewed
(80.9%) do not feed their dogs with canned food, which
explain the status, type of relationship and care people in
Freetown gives to dogs. Although the settlement of people
in the city is most often based on social status, this was not
shown by the people who feed their dogs with canned food.
It was further revealed that most of the respondents use
alternative sources of food (74.3%) to feed their dogs, while
only (17.7%) feed their dogs with rice. This is due to the
high increase in cost of rice which most people at the time
of interview were not able to buy and feed their families.
Most people (88.4%) were not able to accurately calculate
the cost of feeding their dogs per week and only (6.9%) says
they spend US$3.00 per week. It can be seen that majority
of respondent, spent little or almost nothing on their
animals. This further explains that dog management such
as feeding is not a priority to most families which has led to
large numbers of strayed and unsupervised dogs roaming
the streets of Freetown. Garbage dumps were present in
some communities (43.3%) which probably explain why
some families pay less attention to feeding their dogs. The
presence of garbage dumps in some of these communities,
relief some families the burden of regularly feeding their
dogs. This survey revealed that 42.9% of families gave free
access to their dogs to feed on garbage dumps, whilst others
could not. In Freetown, 17% of respondents who own dogs
manage them on free range basis. These categories of people
do not feed their animals. The animals feed on garbage
dumps and faeces. Butler (1998) reported that 53.3% of
house holdin rural Zimbabwewho do not have toilet, use the
surroundings, therebyprovide human faeces as food for
dogs. Others 69% subject their dogs to semi-intensive
management systems; partly feeding their dogs and the dogs
find additional food from the surroundings. Semi intensive
system of feeding has led to high number of street dogs in
the city as most people using this system, often abandon
their dogs and give little or no attention, thus causing the
dogs to remain permanently in the surrounding garbage
dumps. This type of behavior of unsupervised dogs is
common in sub Saharan African countries like Kenya (Kitala
et al. 1993a), Zambia (de Balogh et al. 1993a) and Tanzania
(Clever land and Dye 1995a). Tap water is distributed
throughout Freetown and has been a major source of
drinking water (68.8%) for all dogs. Most of the pipes
connecting houses are old and dilapidated with many holes
.These leaking pipes serve as a source of drinking water
(21.1%) for dogs. Drainages and potholes also serve as an
alternative source (16.1%) to the others and stream
(4.0%).Availability of drinking water becomes a major
problem during the dry season due to lack of rainfall
anddecrease inthe volume of water atGumadamthat supply
Freetown. Survey results revealed that 69.4% of
respondents co-habit with their dogs in their houses or
within their compounds. Other category of respondents
(17.1%) allows their dogs to sleep outside their houses or
compounds. These are mainly for security reasons and
34.1% dog owners do not know where their dogs sleep. Dog
guarding is common in sub Saharan Africa, for example 45%
of people in urban Nigeria keep dogs for guarding
(Oboegbulem and Nwakonobi 1989), 70% in Zimbabwe
(Brooks 1990) and in pastoral communities in Africa
(Macpherson and Wachira1997a). There was no significant
difference between low-income and higher-income earners
in terms of management of dogs in Freetown. Most
respondents (60.1%) do allow their dogs to interact with
other dogs but 39.9% do not, for fear of transfer of diseases.
Foggin (1990) confirmed that contact with rabid dogs was
responsible for the 90% human rabies fatalities in
Zimbabwe. Wandeler et al. (1993) affirm that frequent
contact between unsupervised dogs and between
unsupervised dogs and humans either during playing or
mating are means through which rabies and other
pathogens are transmitted between unsupervised dogs and
human. Ealum et al. (2001) maintained that supervised dogs
are also of public health concern because they are also
potential carriers of zoonosis. Results show that 59.7% of
respondent did not register their dogs with any
organization. This makes it difficult for recognized
institutions to accurately keep data on dogs. However,
38.9% of some respondent did register their dogs, of which
22.1% with veterinary clinic, 9.7% with Ministry o f Health
and Sanitation and 9.0% with private clinics. Those who
claim to have registered their dogs hardly take them for
treatment. About fifty-five percent of respondents
vaccinated their dogs against rabies which was freely
provided by Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society and 45.5%
did not. Major causes of dog mortality in Freetown are due
to lack of care and attention (33.3%), diseases (21.8%) and
food (10.3%). These causes are consistent with other parts
of sub-Saharan Africa. Death rate is high among Puppies
(28.6%) and among mature dogs (32.1%). This study
revealed that life expectancy of dogs in Freetown is between
three to seven years. This falls within the age range of dogs
reared in Zimbabwe (Butler and Bingham 2000).
CONCLUSION
Results presented in this paper will help veterinary and
public health officers, bilateral and multilateral agencies in
Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
Page 6
the planning and implementation of rabies control programs
in Sierra Leone and other rabies affected areas. The ratio of
dogs to human is consistent with that of sub Saharan Africa
.This implies that dog figures can be obtained and
extrapolated against national population statistics to obtain
more accurate and reliable dog numbers throughout the
country. Obtaining accurate and reliable statistics on dogs
will help in raising awareness and sensitization of the entire
Sierra Leonean public. This will help in teaching ideal
management practices to children at schools and among dog
owning families, thereby making people to grow more
interested in dog and animal management. Constant
attention and care given to dogs will help in control of rabies
in Sierra Leone.
Authors' Contributions
Roland Suluku conceived the ideas, designed the questions
with assistance of Dr Wanda and edited the questionnaire.
R. Suluku, administered the questionnaire, analyzed the
results and coordinated the entire process. All authors read
and approved the final draft.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
who provided the fellowship, and through which the project
was conceived. Professor Louis Nel and Dr Wanda
Markoteer who introduced me to rabies, and my head of
department, Dr Saidu Kanu, who always encouraged me to
forge ahead with my ideas. We are grateful to the third year
students of Agriculture General and Education, and first year
honours Animal science that pretested and helped
administer the questionnaireand Masters students of the
same department who helped in the supervision. We are
grateful to the engineering students in the School of
Technology who did area measurement and calculation.Dr
Momoh of the Department of Planning and Research and
Development for introducing us to the statistical package
for social scientists, and the entire community of Freetown,
particularly the various police stations visited and the
veterinary staff at Tower Hill.
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APPENDIX
Personal data of dog owners
Table 1 Socio-economic data
Parameter Frequency
Percentages
Sex distribution of respondence
Male 512
56.9
Female 388 43.1
Religion of respondence
Christian 583
64.8
Muslim 317
35.2
Number of dogs owned
One 415
46.1
Two 262
16.2
Above six 77 8.
rewiew,RevueScienfique et Technique de l'Office
International des Epizooties 12,51-71.
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http://www.bioedonline.org/news.cfm?art=462 11
September, 2003
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Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
Page 8
Ecology and habitat of dogs
Table 2 –Ecology and habitat of dogs in Urban Freetown
Different sources and types of food fed to dogs
Rice 159 17.7
Canned food 49 8.0
Others (garbage, kitchen
Left over and household
Refuse) 692 74.3
Cost of feeding dogs per week
US$ 3.00 62 6.9
US$ 6.00 30 3.3
US$ 10.0 12 1.3
None of the above 796 88.4
Methods of feeding dogs
Intensive 121 13.4
Semi-intensive 626 69.6
Free range system 15317.0
Special eating plates
Yes 579 64.3
No 321 35.7
Source of drinking water
Tape 620 68.9
Stagnant water 145 16.1
Leaking pipes 100 11.1
Stream 35 3.9
Respond an provides shelter for dogs
Yes 593 65.9
No 307 34.1
Accommodation provided for dogs
Kennel 109 12.2
Streets 166 18.4
Co-habit with owners 625 69.4
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Science Journals Publication(ISSN:2276-8572)
Individual dog data
Table 3-Individual dog data
Parameters Frequency Percentages
Types of dog owners in the family
Father 420 46.7
Mother 275 30.6
Children 157 17.4
Friends and relatives 48 5.3
Major purpose of rearing dogs
Guarding 731 81.2
Hunting 18 2.0
Pets 151 16.8
Methods of dog management
Intensive system 94 10.4
Semi-intensive 610 67.8
Tethered 39 4.3
Free range 157 17.4
Disposal of household waste
Dust bin 476 52.9
Plastic sac 221 24.6
Garbage dump 125 13.9
Pits or hole 78 8.7
Stray dogs in community
Yes 630 70.0
No 270 30.0
Dog and human relationships
Table 4-Dog mortality and human relationships
Parameters Frequency Percentage
Registration of dogs in Freetown
Yes 358 39.2
No 547 60.8
Vaccination of dogs against rabies
Yes 494 54.9
No 406 45.1
Prevalence of rabies in study area
Yes 238 26.4
No 662 73.6
Life expectancy of dogs
1Month-1 year 136 15.1
1 year- 3 years 360 40.0
4years- 7yrs 184 20.4
7yrs and above 220 24.5
Age of dog reared
1 Month-5yrs 275 30.6
6 yrs-11 yrs 546 60.7
12yrs-16yrs 63 7.0
16yrs and above