Responsible ownership of pet dogs in families in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyze the responsible ownership of companion dogs in families in the state of Hidalgo. Surveys were conducted among dog owners (n=300) in the municipalities of Actopan, Pachuca de Soto and Tulancingo de Bravo in the state of Hidalgo. To this end, socioeconomic, health and animal welfare aspects were considered. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum). The study found that 57.4% of respondents were dog owners, and 71% of them own a pet. 41% of owners acquired their pet as a gift and 27.8% mentioned that if they have puppies, they plan to give them away. For its part, 56% of respondents do not want their dog to reproduce. It was also observed that 31.3% of respondents do not perform surgical sterilization due to lack of knowledge on the subject, 45% would not pay more than $100 MXN pesos to perform sterilization. 87% of dog owners have a vaccination card, and 70% of them keep their dogs up to date with their vaccinations. 48% said that vaccinations should start when dogs are 45 days old and 55% do not visit a veterinary clinic regularly. In conclusion, pet owners in the three municipalities of the state of Hidalgo are not responsible owners of their pets, because despite being aware of the needs of dogs, they do not meet all of them. However, it is necessary to implement talks and courses on this subject and inform the population about the responsible ownership of these companion pets.