Dholes are highly social Asian wild dogs that hunt cooperatively in packs. Their welfare is threatened by habitat loss, prey depletion, disease from domestic dogs, and persecution by farmers across South and Southeast Asia.
Dhole welfare is shaped by the intersection of social deprivation through pack disruption, disease exposure, and persecution. As obligate pack hunters, individual dholes separated from their social group suffer immediate welfare impacts — reduced foraging success, exposure to predators, and the psychological stress of social isolation. Disease transmission from domestic dogs represents both individual welfare harm (painful viral disease) and population-level threat. Vaccination campaigns targeting domestic dogs in buffer zones around dhole habitat reduce disease transmission and are a high-impact welfare intervention. Livestock protection through guardian animals and secure enclosures reduces retaliation. Captive dhole breeding for conservation purposes is complicated by their complex social needs — maintaining functional pack structures in breeding facilities is essential for welfare and for producing individuals capable of surviving release.