Journal of Natural Environment

Investigating the attitudes of Karaj residents towards stray dogs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Natural Resources University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

3 Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

10.22059/jne.2024.360827.2571

Abstract

Dogs are one of the most common invasive species, and due to their large population in the city and the creation of conflicts with humans, the management of this species is associated with problems. Obtaining a correct understanding of the native people's attitude is one of the first steps towards population management.In this study, the attitude of people living in Karaj city towards stray dogs was evaluated using a questionnaire and through face-to-face interviews for a period of three months. A total of 500 questionnaires were collected through simple random sampling. Based on the results obtained from the one-way analysis of variance test, people with different educational levels are completely similar in terms of their attitude towards stray dogs. Also, the results of the independent t-test to investigate the difference in attitude of pet owners and  people who did not have petstowards stray dogs, showed that pet owners have a more positive view towards stray dogs. The results of One Sample T-test showed considering that people believe that the presence of stray dogs reduces their well-being, they are not interested in their presence in the city. Finally, according to the findings of this research, it is recommended to take measures such as increasing information about not feeding stray dogs  in the city environment through mass communication media, communicating with people about the negative effects of dog ecology, for Attracting public support and providing effective management solutions to control their population.

Keywords

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Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 77, Ecology and Biodiversity Management
July 2024
Pages 105-114