African wild dogs are among the most endangered large carnivores, with welfare threats from disease, human conflict, and habitat fragmentation compounding their already perilous conservation status.
African wild dog welfare is inseparable from their conservation crisis. As one of the most social carnivores, individual welfare depends on pack integrity — a dog separated from its pack faces dramatically reduced survival and wellbeing. Disease transmission from domestic dogs represents a welfare emergency as well as a population threat: distemper and rabies cause painful deaths. Road collisions trap injured dogs that cannot easily be rescued or treated in remote areas. The welfare science suggests that protecting pack cohesion, vaccinating surrounding domestic dog populations, and reducing snaring are the highest-impact interventions for both welfare and conservation.