Dog-bites, rabies and One Health: Towards a coordinated agenda for research, policy and practice

Summary

Content type	Content type Digital Document
Collection(s)	Collection(s) Faculty of Arts
Resource Type	Resource Type Text
Genre	Genre article

Origin Information

Date Created/Date Issued	2017
Date Captured	2018-05-25 19:54:58
Publisher	Social Science & Medicine

Persons and Affiliations

Persons	Author (aut): Rock, Melanie J. Author (aut): Rault, Dawn Author (aut): Degeling, Chris

Abstract/Description

Abstract	Abstract Dog-bites and rabies are neglected problems worldwide, notwithstanding recent efforts to raise awareness and to consolidate preventive action. As problems, dog-bites and rabies are entangled with one another, and both align with the concept of One Health. This concept emphasizes interdependence between humans and non-human species in complex socio-ecological systems. Despite intuitive appeal, One Health applications and critiques remain under-developed with respect to social science and social justice. In this article, we report on an ethnographic case-study of policies on dog bites and rabies, with a focus on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which is widely recognized as a leader in animal-control policies. The fieldwork took place between 2013 and 2016. Our analysis suggests that current policies on rabies prevention may come at the expense of a ‘bigger picture’ for One Health. In that ‘bigger picture,’ support is needed to enhance coordination between animal-control and public-health policies. Such coordination has direct relevance for the well-being of children, not least Indigenous children.
Language	Language English

Abstract

Dog-bites and rabies are neglected problems worldwide, notwithstanding recent efforts to raise awareness and to consolidate preventive action. As problems, dog-bites and rabies are entangled with one another, and both align with the concept of One Health. This concept emphasizes interdependence between humans and non-human species in complex socio-ecological systems. Despite intuitive appeal, One Health applications and critiques remain under-developed with respect to social science and social justice. In this article, we report on an ethnographic case-study of policies on dog bites and rabies, with a focus on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which is widely recognized as a leader in animal-control policies. The fieldwork took place between 2013 and 2016. Our analysis suggests that current policies on rabies prevention may come at the expense of a ‘bigger picture’ for One Health. In that ‘bigger picture,’ support is needed to enhance coordination between animal-control and public-health policies. Such coordination has direct relevance for the well-being of children, not least Indigenous children.

Language

English

Publication/Container Information

Publication Title	Publication Title Social Science & Medicine
Publication Number	Publication Number Volume 187

Relationships

Related Item

Relationship Type	host
Title	Social Science & Medicine

Identifiers

DOI	DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.036
Handle	Handle Handle placeholder

Notes

Note

Note Type

funding

Note

This research was made possible by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [CIHR-MOP-130569; UCalgary/CHREB13-1101].

The interviews with veterinarians took place under the auspices of a related project [CIHR-MOP-123380; UCalgary/CHREB14-1347]. In addition, Chris Degeling’s contributions were enabled by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [NHMRC-1083079], which concerns polices for rabies prevention.

Dawn Rault held an Indigenous Graduate Award from the Province of Alberta and the Captain Nichola K.S. Goddard Memorial Graduate Scholarship from the University of Calgary.

Our analysis benefited from presentations to the Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers, in November 2015; to the Alberta Municipal Enforcement Association, in May 2015, May 2016 and May 2017; at a symposium hosted by the Group for Research with Indigenous People in the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary, in May 2016; and at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Medical Anthropology, in April 2016 and June 2016. The June 2016 presentation at the University of Edinburgh was made possible by a CIHR/IPPH Visiting Scholar Award [CIHR-ICT-146829].

Access and Rights

Use and Reproduction	Use and Reproduction Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Use License	Use License Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Subjects and Classifications

Subject Topic	Subject Topic Canada Rabies Injuries Health promotion Dogs Medical anthropology Veterinary medicine Criminology

Language	English
Name	Dog-bites, rabies and One Health: Towards a coordinated agenda for research, policy and practice
Authored on	2025-03-26
MIME type	application/pdf
File size	200920
Media Use	Original File

Dog-bites, rabies and One Health: Towards a coordinated agenda for research, policy and practice

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