African wild dogs are among the most endangered carnivores in Africa, with highly social pack structures that make individual welfare inseparable from the wellbeing of the whole group.
Wild dog welfare is uniquely tied to pack integrity. Individual animals are critically dependent on their pack for hunting success, pup care, and protection - a dog that loses its pack to disease or snaring faces a welfare crisis beyond individual illness. Packs decimated by rabies outbreaks may be too small to effectively hunt, causing starvation of survivors. Snared animals may be found and released, but injuries prevent effective hunting participation, reducing the individual's welfare and the pack's success. Vaccination programs targeting domestic dog disease reservoirs provide one of the most cost-effective welfare interventions.