Data and facts about the owned dogs of Sri Lanka.
Jump to: Ownership Practices
Highlights
Ownership Practices
Jump to: Rural Sri Lanka
Rural Sri Lanka
Jump to: Anuradhapura
Study in Anuradhapura
External link:
Rathish D, Rajapakse J, Weerakoon K (2022) Household preferences for pet keeping: Findings from a rural district of Sri Lanka. PLoS ONE 17(11): e0277108. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277108
Demographics of Dog Ownership
- 57% of households in Anuradhapura own a pet, with 41% owning a dog
- Number of dogs per household:
- 1 dog: 77% of dog owning households
- 2 dogs: 20%
- 3 or more dogs: 3%
- Years of ownership:
- 1 year or less: 37 households (17%)
- More than 1 year to 5 years: 136 households (62%)
- More than 5 years to 10 years: 43 households (19%)
- More than 10 years: 4 households (2%).
- The most common reason (69%) for owning a dog was security, similar to findings in the Philippines.
- 49% of dog owners received their dog as a gift, 37% adopted a stray, and 13% purchased their dog from a pet store.
- The most common reason for not having a pet is a lack of interest (34%).
- Households with more than one adult female were more likely to own a pet and a dog.
- Pet ownership was significantly lower among those who lived alone (21%).
Veterinary Visits and Rabies Vaccination
- Unlike other pets, a majority of dogs (67%) had at least one veterinary visit within the last year.
- 97% of these veterinary visits were for vaccination.
- 90% of households with dogs had vaccinated their pets within the last year.
- Among households that owned both dogs and cats, 61% had vaccinated both pets within the last year, 34% (13 out of 38) had only vaccinated the dog, and 5% (2 out of 38) had not vaccinated either pet.
Pet Care
- Majority of participants (78%) fed their dogs home-cooked food.
- Only a few fed their dogs raw food, indicating a precaution in minimizing risks related to raw food consumption.
- Most dogs (68%) and cats (52%) lived outdoors in a non-specific area. Additionally, 25% of dogs lived outdoors in a specific area, and only 7% lived indoors.
- Dogs (13%), cats (6%), and birds (39%) reduced the travel of the family.