Welfare and conservation of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), examining colony disruption from poisoning programs, plague impacts, and the ecological role of prairie dog towns in grassland welfare.
Prairie dog welfare is inseparable from their ecological function — these are keystone animals whose welfare and population health determines the welfare of an entire grassland community. Plague events that kill entire colonies cause enormous acute suffering across thousands of individuals simultaneously. Poisoning programs impose slow, painful deaths on animals capable of complex social communication and apparent emotional states. The welfare of individual prairie dogs matters intrinsically; their welfare also matters instrumentally because healthy prairie dog populations support the black-footed ferret, the burrowing owl, and the entire biodiverse community that depends on prairie dog infrastructure. Protecting prairie dog welfare through plague vaccination and ending poisoning programs serves both individual animal welfare and grassland ecosystem health.