Residents' Management of, and Attitudes Towards, the Dog Population on Two Mariana Islands

This study reports the level of care dogs received from their caretakers and the caretaker and non-caretaker attitudes towards dogs on the islands of Guam and Saipan in order to identify hurdles in dog care and management options for the stray population. Surveys were collected from residents of Guam and Saipan “(274 and 275 respectively)” and analyzed using chi-squared tests. Dogs were the most popular companion animal (Guam 66.4%; Saipan 72% ownership) with a strong preference toward pedigree, male puppies (Guam 45.4%; Saipan 62.4%). The more preferred dogs were housed inside and fed dog food, while the less preferred local mixed-breed dogs were free-roaming and fed table scraps. The majority of caretakers in Saipan and the minority in Guam (59% and 22.8% respectively) had never provided veterinary care to their dog. Generally, caretakers on both islands did not sterilize their dogs, which may result in the potential for unplanned litters and a growth in the dog population. Residents of both islands reported witnessing abusive acts toward dogs, despite dogs being reported as having an important role on the island. This paper considers obstacles regarding veterinary cost, free-roaming populations, and low sterilization rates.