Dholes are Asia highly social wild canids facing population collapse from habitat loss, prey depletion, and disease transmission from domestic dogs that threatens pack social integrity and welfare.
Dhole welfare is inherently pack-based: like African wild dogs, the loss of any individual reverberates through the welfare of all pack members through reduced hunting success and pup care. Disease outbreaks transmitted from domestic dogs cause significant mortality events that can collapse entire packs. Prey depletion forces dholes to range more widely and encounter more human-modified landscapes, increasing conflict and mortality risk. Vaccination programs for domestic dogs in dhole habitat reduce disease transmission risk directly. Maintaining prey-rich protected areas that can sustain large packs is the foundation of dhole welfare.