Prevalence of Pet Dog Ownership in an Urban Colony of East Delhi and Awareness Regarding Canine Zoonotic Diseases and Responsible Pet Ownership among Dog Owners.

BACKGROUND

India has lowly prioritized pet-associated zoonosis as a public health priority because data regarding the same and the susceptible population involved are sparse.

OBJECTIVE

To find the proportion of pet dog ownership in a settled urban colony of East Delhi and to assess awareness regarding canine zoonotic diseases and responsible pet ownership.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 700 participants in an urban colony of East Delhi.

RESULTS

The proportion of pet dog owners was 5.4%. Only one-third (34.2%) of the respondents were aware that pets are a source of disease. A majority of pet owners (86.8%) identified rabies as a disease caused by the bite of only stray dogs. The proportion of responsible pet owners was 39.4%. Only one-tenth of surveyed households had registered their pet with the local municipal authorities, despite such registration being a compulsory requirement by law.

CONCLUSION

This study provides us with a better understanding of the lacunae in awareness of zoonotic diseases and its preventive measures among pet owners. All pet owners have a responsibility to ensure that their pets are healthy and free from disease.