BACKGROUND : Dogs are ubiquitous in human society and attempts to manage their populations are common to
most countries. Managing dog populations is achieved through a range of interventions to suit the dog population
dynamics and dog ownership characteristics of the location, with a number of potential impacts or goals in mind.
Impact assessment provides the opportunity for interventions to identify areas of inefficiencies for improvement
and build evidence of positive change.
METHODS : This scoping review collates 26 studies that have assessed the impacts of dog population management
interventions.
RESULTS : It reports the use of 29 indicators of change under 8 categories of impact and describes variation in the
methods used to measure these indicators.
CONCLUSION : The relatively few published examples of impact assessment in dog population management suggest
this field is in its infancy; however this review highlights those notable exceptions. By describing those indicators
and methods of measurement that have been reported thus far, and apparent barriers to efficient assessment, this
review aims to support and direct future impact assessment.
