New research supports a ‘One Health’ solution for wild dog management
New research highlights the importance of a One Health approach to managing free-roaming and wild dogs – recognising that animal health, human wellbeing, livestock production and the environment are deeply interconnected.
A joint media release from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) and the National Wild Dog Action Plan (NWDAP) highlights the findings, proposing a One Health solution to reducing the negative impacts of wild dogs.
A new scientific paper, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, explores the complex realities of wild dog management, including disease transmission, livestock predation, and psychosocial stress, alongside differing public perceptions of dingoes and free-roaming dogs.
The One Health concept, defined by the World Health Organisation as “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems,” provides a useful framework for navigating these competing considerations and supporting more effective, socially informed management.
Led by Professor Peter Fleming (NWDAP Committee and Senior Principal Research Scientist with NSW DPIRD) with co-author Dr Ben Allen (also NWDAP), the paper examines social, policy, and knowledge barriers to effective management. Rather than focusing on breed, the authors propose a typology based on dog situation, helping clarify when and how different management responses are most appropriate.
Working dogs help muster sheep.
National Wild Dog Management Coordinator, Greg Mifsud, said the paper reinforced the NWDAP approach to managing free-roaming and wild dogs.
“The plan recognises that wild dogs and dingoes affect animal health, communities, livestock production and Australia’s unique biodiversity, while also holding important cultural significance, and all of these factors must be considered when determining best-practice management.”
“This is why at the core of the plan is the principle that the management of wild dogs and dingoes is not about eradication, but about control. We want to ensure we can achieve a balance between the different impacts and roles that wild dogs and dingoes play in society.”