BALANCING THE HEALTH RISKS AND BENEFITS OF DOG POPULATIONS IN CANADA'S NORTHERN COMMUNITIES

The research project “Mitigating Illness and Raising Wellness at the Human-Dog Interface in Northern Canada” (IPDW),  is led by Prof. André Ravel, and aims to better understand and respond to current issues related to human-gog interactions in northern Canada. Human-dog interactions generate public health issues such as bites, exposure to rabies, fear and social tensions.

 

These issues are exacerbated in communities in northern Quebec, where canine overpopulation and a higher prevalence of bites are often observed more than the rest of the province. Our team contributes to this project by:

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1) Studying knowledge, attitudes and practices related to dogs and dog bites

2) Developing One Health decision support tools that take into account the complexity of these issues in three communities located in northern Quebec: Matimekush-Lac John, Schefferville and Kawawachikamach.