Dholes are endangered pack-hunting wild dogs of Asia whose welfare in the wild is threatened by habitat loss, prey depletion, disease transmission from domestic dogs, and human-wildlife conflict.
Dhole welfare in the wild is multidimensionally threatened. As obligate social hunters, disruption of pack structure through trapping or killing severely affects individuals' welfare and survival — lone dholes struggle to hunt effectively and are vulnerable to predation. Disease spillover from domestic dogs living near forest edges is a growing welfare and conservation concern; vaccination campaigns for village dogs in dhole range areas have shown promise in reducing disease transmission. Human-wildlife conflict around livestock predation drives retaliatory killing that fragments populations. Habitat loss forces dholes into smaller ranges with less prey, increasing competition and nutritional stress. Unlike tigers or elephants, dholes receive relatively little conservation attention or funding despite their precarious status. Raising the profile of dhole conservation and addressing the domestic dog disease interface are high-priority welfare and conservation actions.