PERCEPTION OF DOG AND CAT OWNERS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE KEEPING, ANIMAL HEALTH CARE AND RISKS OF ZOONOSIS TRANSMISSION IN SEROPÉDICA, RIO DE JANEIRO
Authors: Oliveira Daniela Dutra , Viana Lucas de Souza , de Siqueira Maria Thereza Ferreira , Merat Milena Soares Pinto , Lemos Leila Eugenio , da Silva Luiza Lessa de Oliveira , Magalhães Vitória Gonçalves , Angelo Isabele da Costa 
Published: November 2024

The increasing acquisition of companion animals associated with reproductive uncontrolled behavior and abandonment reveal that the lack of responsibility for animals can pose risks to public health. Thus, this study consisted of evaluating the knowledge of the Seropédica community about zoonoses, population control and responsible ownership of animals. To this end, the aspects that underlie responsible ownership were assessed through a structured questionnaire applied to 417 guardians during the anti-rabies vaccination campaign for dogs and cats in the city of Seropédica, RJ. Data collection was conducted by students of the Tutorial Education Program - PET and volunteer students, both groups being undergraduate students in Veterinary Medicine at UFRRJ. The data obtained were organized using Microsoft Excel software and descriptive analysis was performed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Through the analysis, it was revealed that 74.10% of people had between 1 and 3 animals at home, while 15.83%, 9.59% and 0.48% had between 4 and 5 animals, 6 or more animals and no animals, respectively. Regarding the practice of vaccination, 68.11% vaccinated their animals, 7.67% did not vaccinate and 24.44% vaccinate only against rabies in vaccination campaigns. Regarding the use of antiparasitic drugs, 85.13% used them on their animals, while 14.87% did not use them. In addition, 22.54% neutered all their animals, 24.70% neutered only some and 52.76% did not neuter any of their animals. Regarding veterinary care, 50.12% took their animals to the veterinarian, while 49.88% did not. Regarding neutering, 69.78% of owners stated that the measure is effective in preventing unwanted offspring, promoting the well-being of domestic animals (62.35%), reducing stray animals (55.88%), conserving wildlife (26.86%), mitigating zoonoses (41.73%) and preserving human health (32.61%). In addition, 77.22% defined stray animals as animals without an owner, abandoned, living on urban streets and 24.22% defined them as animals without an owner, but cared for by the community. Regarding the concept of responsible ownership, they highlighted the care and well-being of the animal (53.00%), followed by responsibility (10.79%), guarantee of protection (1.92%), demonstration of love and affection (11.03%), in addition to daily actions such as bathing, walks, feeding and vaccination (16.31%), while 11.51% were unaware of the concept. 78.66% stated that the stray animal population can affect human health, mainly through disease transmission (53.00%), flea transmission (5.28%) or both (24.46%). As for zoonoses, 65.95% recognized the possibility of disease transmission from animals to humans, and 56.35% stated that they knew the term zoonoses, highlighting rabies (87.29%), scabies (70.98%), leptospirosis (53.96%), sporotrichosis (39.33%), toxoplasmosis (34.29%) and leishmaniasis (32.13%).These data provide a comprehensive view of participants' perception and knowledge regarding veterinary public health issues, emphasizing that the population investigated is still uninformed, which reflects the challenge and demands the ongoing need for education and awareness about responsible ownership and prevention of zoonoses.