An estimated ** million households in the United States owned at least one dog according to a 2024/25 pet owners survey, making them the most widely owned type of pet across the U.S. at this time. Cats and freshwater fish ranked in second and third places, with around ** million and ** million households owning such pets, respectively. Freshwater vs. salt water fish Freshwater fish spend most or all their lives in fresh water. Fresh water’s main difference to salt water is the level of salinity. Freshwater fish have a range of physiological adaptations to enable them to live in such conditions. As the statistic makes clear, Americans keep a large number of freshwater aquatic species at home as pets. American pet owners In 2023, around ** percent of all households in the United States owned a pet. This is a decrease from 2020, but still around a ** percent increase from 1988. It is no surprise that as more and more households own pets, pet industry expenditure has also witnessed steady growth. Expenditure reached over *** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, almost a sixfold increase from 1998. The majority of pet product sales are still made in brick-and-mortar stores, despite the rise and evolution of e-commerce in the United States.

Context

I have taken this dataset from the NYC Open Data Website: https://data.cityofnewyork.us

I wanted to use the cleaned version of this dataset and I thought people might like to use this version. The original dataset was last updated on 10th September 2018.

Description: All dog owners residing in NYC are required by law to license their dogs. The data is sourced from the DOHMH Dog Licensing System (https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/DogLicense), where owners can apply for and renew dog licenses. Each record represents a unique dog license that was active during the year, but not necessarily a unique record per dog, since a license that is renewed during the year results in a separate record of an active license period. Each record stands as a unique license period for the dog over the course of the yearlong time frame.

Content

The original dataset contained 122K rows and 15 columns. After cleaning the data, the count has reduced to 121862 rows.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the city of new york for collecting and providing this data! As well as the NYC Department of Health who acquired this data from owners who registered their dogs for the dog license.

Inspiration

I'll let you guys get creative and explore the dataset.

Idaho had the highest dog ownership rate in the United States (U.S.), with ** percent of households owning a dog in 2025. In Tennessee, around ** percent of households were dog owners in that year. Dog food industry in the U.S. The sales value of dog food in the U.S. amounts to a total of approximately **** billion U.S. dollars annually, excluding treats. Among the various dog food categories, dry dog food makes up the largest share of sales, with just under ***** billion U.S. dollars. The leading dog biscuit, treat, and beverage vendor in the U.S. in terms of sales is Big Heart Pet Brands, which generates sales of over * billion U.S. dollars annually. The sales of Big Heart Pet Brands are more than twice as much as those of its biggest competitor, Nestlé Purina PetCare. The leading frozen and refrigerated dog food vendors in the U.S. is Freshpet. The company dominates the market by a considerable margin. Dog ownership in the U.S. Nationwide, approximately ** million U.S. households own at least one dog. Dogs are the most widely owned type of pet among American households. Within the last 12 years, the number of dog-owning households grew by more than ** percent. In general, there has been an increase in the household penetration rate of pet ownership in the U.S. during the last 35 years. In 2023, about ********** of households owned at least one pet. Since the state of Idaho has the highest percentage share of dog owners among U.S. states, it is unsurprising that its state capital, the city of Boise, has the largest number of dog parks per 100,000 residents in the country. There are *** off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents in Boise, Idaho.

Dataset Card for Cats Vs. Dogs

  Dataset Summary

A large set of images of cats and dogs. There are 1738 corrupted images that are dropped. This dataset is part of a now-closed Kaggle competition and represents a subset of the so-called Asirra dataset. From the competition page:

The Asirra data set Web services are often protected with a challenge that's supposed to be easy for people to solve, but difficult for computers. Such a challenge is often called a CAPTCHA… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/microsoft/cats_vs_dogs.

********* percent of households in the United States owned one or more pets in 2023/2024. Household penetration rates for pet-ownership have increased by ** percent since the beginning of the survey period in 1988. What kinds of pets do Americans prefer? There were estimated to be around ** million dog-owning households in the United States according to a recent survey, making dogs the most popular kind of pets in American homes. Cats and freshwater fish ranked in second and third places, respectively. Horses and saltwater fish were the least popular types of animals to keep, with around *** million households owning each type of pet. How much do Americans spend on their pets? Total pet industry expenditure reached around ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, an increase from the previous year. As well as regular expenses such as food and vet costs, households were estimated to spend around *** billion U.S. dollars on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets in 2023.

NYC Reported Dog Bites.

Section 11.03 of NYC Health Code requires all animals bites to be reported within 24 hours of the event.

Information reported assists the Health Department to determine if the biting dog is healthy ten days after the person was bitten in order to avoid having the person bitten receive unnecessary rabies shots. Data is collected from reports received online, mail, fax or by phone to 311 or NYC DOHMH Animal Bite Unit. Each record represents a single dog bite incident. Information on breed, age, gender and Spayed or Neutered status have not been verified by DOHMH and is listed only as reported to DOHMH. A blank space in the dataset means no data was available.

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Pet Sitting Market Size 2024-2028

The pet sitting market size is forecast to increase by USD 1.57 billion at a CAGR of 9.87% between 2023 and 2028. The market is experiencing significant growth due to several key factors. First, the rising trend of pet humanization has led to increased pet ownership and spending on pets. Pet types encompass a wide range, from small mammals and birds to freshwater fish, smart pet livestock, and exotic pets. As pet owners prioritize their pets' wellbeing, they seek professional pet sitting services for care visits during their absence. Service types include regular check-ins, feeding, administering medication, and playtime. Compliance with stringent regulations and certifications is essential for pet sitting businesses to ensure the highest level of care and safety for pets. These factors collectively contribute to the market's growth and ongoing demand for professional services.

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The pet sitting market is thriving as more pet owners seek reliable care for their furry companions. With the return-to-work trend, many retired people and students are turning to pet sitting services to accommodate their busy lifestyles. This growing demand has led to increased spending of consumers on quality pet care. In particular, the pet care cost associated with hiring a service provider can vary, but it ensures pets are well cared for while owners travel or work. Furthermore, societal shifts in pet acceptance have made pets a central part of many households, leading to a rise in the need for professional care. Ultimately, the pet sitting market reflects the evolving relationship between humans and their animal companions, providing peace of mind for pet owners.

Market Segmentation

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for 2024-2028, as well as historical data from 2018-2022 for the following segments.

Type

  Dogs
  Cats


Service

  Care visits
  Drop-in visits


Geography

  North America

    Canada
    US


  Europe

    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    China


  Middle East and Africa



  South America

By Type Insights

The dogs segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The market experiences significant growth due to the increasing popularity of dogs as pets and the resulting demand for pet care services. Dogs, the most commonly owned pets worldwide, are sought after for their ability to alleviate feelings of loneliness, reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, and promote physical activity and cardiovascular health. Additionally, dogs serve as valuable companions for children and the elderly, instilling responsibility, kindness, and empathy.

Additionally, pet owners require pet sitting services, including daycare visits and dog walking, when they are unable to be at home. Animal-borne disorders, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, can necessitate the need for pet sitting services, further driving market growth. The rise of e-commerce platforms has also made it easier for pet owners to access a wide range of pet grooming products and services online, contributing to market expansion. Furthermore, legislation and regulations governing pet care and pet sitting services may vary by region, segmenting the market by pet type and location.

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The dogs segment was valued at USD 1.31 billion in 2018 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America is estimated to contribute 41% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

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The market, a significant sector within the pet care industry, experiences substantial growth, particularly in North America. With the US, Canada, and Mexico leading the way, this region hosts the largest number of pets and pet-sitting services worldwide. Factors such as the affordability of these services and the availability of experienced, full-time providers contribute significantly to the market's expansion in North America.

Additionally, increasing awareness among pet owners regarding various pet sitting options, including daycare visits and dog walking, further fuels market growth. Animal-borne disorders like abdominal pain and diarrhea necessitate the need for professional pet care services, leading to increased demand for pet sitting. Legislation mandating proper care for pets during their owners' absences also supports the market's growth.

Our researchers analyzed the data with 2023 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of

This is a data set of individuals in the United States that have pets. Data can be segmented and ordered based on State, City, Individual age, and gender. Data also includes first name, last name, email, address, zip code, and phone number. The dates the data was collected were from 07/01/2022 - 10/04/2022.

Assistance dogs' roles have diversified to support people with various disabilities, especially in the U.S. Data presented here are from the U.S. and Canada non-profit facilities (including both accredited and candidate members that fulfilled partial requirements: all here termed “accredited”) of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), and from non-accredited U.S. assistance dog training facilities, on the numbers and types of dogs they placed in 2013 and 2014 with persons who have disabilities. ADI categories of assistance dogs are for guide, hearing, and service (including for assistance with mobility, autism, psychiatric, diabetes, seizure disabilities). Accredited facilities in 28 states and 3 provinces responded; accredited non-responding facilities were in 22 states and 1 province (some in states/provinces with responding accredited facilities). Non-accredited facilities in 16 states responded. U.S./Canada responding accredited facilities (55 of 96: 57%) placed 2,374 dogs; non-accredited U.S. facilities (22 of 133: 16.5%) placed 797 dogs. Accredited facilities placed similar numbers of dogs for guiding (n = 918) or mobility (n = 943), but many more facilities placed mobility service dogs than guide dogs. Autism service dogs were third most for accredited (n = 205 placements) and U.S. non-accredited (n = 72) facilities. Psychiatric service dogs were fourth most common in accredited placements (n = 119) and accounted for most placements (n = 526) in non-accredited facilities. Other accredited placements were for: hearing (n = 109); diabetic alert (n = 69), and seizure response (n = 11). Responding non-accredited facilities placed 17 hearing dogs, 30 diabetic alert dogs, and 18 seizure response dogs. Non-accredited facilities placed many dogs for psychiatric assistance, often for veterans, but ADI accreditation is required for veterans to have financial reimbursement. Twenty states and several provinces had no responding facilities; 17 of these states had no accredited facilities. In regions lacking facilities, some people with disabilities may find it inconvenient living far from any supportive facility, even if travel costs are provided. Despite accelerated U.S./Canada placements, access to well-trained assistance dogs continues to be limited and inconvenient for many people with disabilities, and the numerous sources of expensive, poorly trained dogs add confusion for potential handlers.

The oldest confirmed remains of domestic dogs in North America are from mid-continent archeological sites dated ~9,900 calibrated years before present (cal BP). Although this date suggests that dogs may not have arrived alongside the first Native Americans, the timing and routes for the entrance of New World dogs are unclear. Here, we present a complete mitochondrial genome of a dog from Southeast Alaska, dated to 10,150 ± 260 cal BP. We compared this high-coverage genome with data from modern dog breeds, historical Arctic dogs, and American precontact dogs (PCDs) from before European arrival. Our analyses demonstrate that the ancient dog shared a common ancestor with PCDs that lived ~14,500 years ago and diverged from Siberian dogs around 16,000 years ago, coinciding with the minimum suggested date for the opening of the North Pacific coastal (NPC) route along the Cordilleran Ice Sheet and genetic evidence for the initial peopling of the Americas. This ancient Southeast Alaskan dog occ...

The US Pet Treats Market report segments the industry into Sub Product (Crunchy Treats, Dental Treats, Freeze-dried and Jerky Treats, Soft & Chewy Treats, Other Treats), Pets (Cats, Dogs, Other Pets), and Distribution Channel (Convenience Stores, Online Channel, Specialty Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Other Channels). Includes five years of historical data and market forecasts for the next five years.

analyze the consumer expenditure survey (ce) with r the consumer expenditure survey (ce) is the primo data source to understand how americans spend money. participating households keep a running diary about every little purchase over the year. those diaries are then summed up into precise expenditure categories. how else are you gonna know that the average american household spent $34 (±2) on bacon, $826 (±17) on cellular phones, and $13 (±2) on digital e-readers in 2011? an integral component of the market basket calculation in the consumer price index, this survey recently became available as public-use microdata and they're slowly releasing historical files back to 1996. hooray! for a t aste of what's possible with ce data, look at the quick tables listed on their main page - these tables contain approximately a bazillion different expenditure categories broken down by demographic groups. guess what? i just learned that americans living in households with $5,000 to $9,999 of annual income spent an average of $283 (±90) on pets, toys, hobbies, and playground equipment (pdf page 3). you can often get close to your statistic of interest from these web tables. but say you wanted to look at domestic pet expenditure among only households with children between 12 and 17 years old. another one of the thirteen web tables - the consumer unit composition table - shows a few different breakouts of households with kids, but none matching that exact population of interest. the bureau of labor statistics (bls) (the survey's designers) and the census bureau (the survey's administrators) have provided plenty of the major statistics and breakouts for you, but they're not psychic. if you want to comb through this data for specific expenditure categories broken out by a you-defined segment of the united states' population, then let a little r into your life. fun starts now. fair warning: only analyze t he consumer expenditure survey if you are nerd to the core. the microdata ship with two different survey types (interview and diary), each containing five or six quarterly table formats that need to be stacked, merged, and manipulated prior to a methodologically-correct analysis. the scripts in this repository contain examples to prepare 'em all, just be advised that magnificent data like this will never be no-assembly-required. the folks at bls have posted an excellent summary of what's av ailable - read it before anything else. after that, read the getting started guide. don't skim. a few of the descriptions below refer to sas programs provided by the bureau of labor statistics. you'll find these in the C:\My Directory\CES\2011\docs directory after you run the download program. this new github repository contains three scripts: 2010-2011 - download all microdata.R lo op through every year and download every file hosted on the bls's ce ftp site import each of the comma-separated value files into r with read.csv depending on user-settings, save each table as an r data file (.rda) or stat a-readable file (.dta) 2011 fmly intrvw - analysis examples.R load the r data files (.rda) necessary to create the 'fmly' table shown in the ce macros program documentation.doc file construct that 'fmly' table, using five quarters of interviews (q1 2011 thru q1 2012) initiate a replicate-weighted survey design object perform some lovely li'l analysis examples replicate the %mean_variance() macro found in "ce macros.sas" and provide some examples of calculating descriptive statistics using unimputed variables replicate the %compare_groups() macro found in "ce macros.sas" and provide some examples of performing t -tests using unimputed variables create an rsqlite database (to minimize ram usage) containing the five imputed variable files, after identifying which variables were imputed based on pdf page 3 of the user's guide to income imputation initiate a replicate-weighted, database-backed, multiply-imputed survey design object perform a few additional analyses that highlight the modified syntax required for multiply-imputed survey designs replicate the %mean_variance() macro found in "ce macros.sas" and provide some examples of calculating descriptive statistics using imputed variables repl icate the %compare_groups() macro found in "ce macros.sas" and provide some examples of performing t-tests using imputed variables replicate the %proc_reg() and %proc_logistic() macros found in "ce macros.sas" and provide some examples of regressions and logistic regressions using both unimputed and imputed variables replicate integrated mean and se.R match each step in the bls-provided sas program "integr ated mean and se.sas" but with r instead of sas create an rsqlite database when the expenditure table gets too large for older computers to handle in ram export a table "2011 integrated mean and se.csv" that exactly matches the contents of the sas-produced "2011 integrated mean and se.lst" text file click here to view these three scripts for...

1. The number of alien reptiles and amphibians introduced and established worldwide has been increasing over the last decades. The legal pet trade is the now the dominant pathway by which individuals of these species arrive in their non-native locale. Despite its importance, pet trade pathway specific factors that influence the release (introduction) of exotic reptiles and amphibians have not yet been examined. 2. To address this gap, we set out to identify broad-scale and easily measured biological and economic factors that influence the release of these exotic pets by their owners. We hypothesize that biological factors reflect the cost of care and economic factors reflect the value owners place on their pet, both of which can influence the probability a pet is released. We collected life history and economic data on the 1722 species of reptiles and amphibians sold within the US as pets over the last 18 years. We also compiled a list of pet-trade attributed releases in the US (i.e. all free-living species regardless of whether they successfully established). We then used boosted regression trees to correlate species release status to their life history traits and economic attributes (r2 = 0.51, AUC = 0.89). 3. We found that species with a high probability of being released were imported at higher quantities over our period of record, have a relatively large adult mass, and commanded cheaper retail prices. Quantity imported and price interact with longevity and adult mass to produce non-linear increases in release probability. The most important interaction revealed that large-bodied species imported in high quantities have a three times higher release probability compared to large-bodied species imported in lower quantities. 4. Policy implications. Our results provide much needed guidance toward targeting exotic pet reptile and amphibian species that are at a high risk of being released. In particular, species that are both prevalent in the pet trade and are large-bodied or long-lived have the highest probability of being released. This will aid in developing education and policy solutions aimed at decreasing the rate at which these pets are released, thus curtailing the invasion process before these species can establish and impacts can occur

BackgroundDog rabies annually causes 24,000–70,000 deaths globally. We built a spreadsheet tool, RabiesEcon, to aid public health officials to estimate the cost-effectiveness of dog rabies vaccination programs in East Africa.MethodsRabiesEcon uses a mathematical model of dog-dog and dog-human rabies transmission to estimate dog rabies cases averted, the cost per human rabies death averted and cost per year of life gained (YLG) due to dog vaccination programs (US 2015 dollars). We used an East African human population of 1 million (approximately 2/3 living in urban setting, 1/3 rural). We considered, using data from the literature, three vaccination options; no vaccination, annual vaccination of 50% of dogs and 20% of dogs vaccinated semi-annually. We assessed 2 transmission scenarios: low (1.2 dogs infected per infectious dog) and high (1.7 dogs infected). We also examined the impact of annually vaccinating 70% of all dogs (World Health Organization recommendation for dog rabies elimination).ResultsWithout dog vaccination, over 10 years there would a total of be approximately 44,000–65,000 rabid dogs and 2,100–2,900 human deaths. Annually vaccinating 50% of dogs results in 10-year reductions of 97% and 75% in rabid dogs (low and high transmissions scenarios, respectively), approximately 2,000–1,600 human deaths averted, and an undiscounted cost-effectiveness of $451-$385 per life saved. Semi-annual vaccination of 20% of dogs results in in 10-year reductions of 94% and 78% in rabid dogs, and approximately 2,000–1,900 human deaths averted, and cost $404-$305 per life saved. In the low transmission scenario, vaccinating either 50% or 70% of dogs eliminated dog rabies. Results were most sensitive to dog birth rate and the initial rate of dog-to-dog transmission (Ro).ConclusionsDog rabies vaccination programs can control, and potentially eliminate, dog rabies. The frequency and coverage of vaccination programs, along with the level of dog rabies transmission, can affect the cost-effectiveness of such programs. RabiesEcon can aid both the planning and assessment of dog rabies vaccination programs.

Service dogs, trained to assist people with disabilities, are known to impact their human partners’ social experiences. While service dogs can act as a “social bridge,” facilitating greater social connection under certain circumstances, many service dog partners also encounter challenges in social settings because of the presence of their service dog – despite legal protections. Among the most common challenges reported are experiences of stigma, discrimination, and access or service denials. This preregistered integrative review sought to synthesize empirical, theoretical, and legal literature to understand better the social experiences reported by service dog partners in the United States, including (1) civil rights experiences; (2) experiences of stigma and discrimination; and (3) broader social experiences. Following database searches and article screening, a total of N = 43 articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Analyses were conducted in two stages: first, synthesizing quantitative and qualitative findings to explore the magnitude of social experiences reported by empirical articles and second, narrative synthesis to integrate findings across all article types. Analyses identified three themes: Adverse Social Experiences, Contributing Factors, and Proposed Solutions. Overall, we found consistent reports of stigma, discrimination, and access denials for service dog handlers. Additionally, these adverse experiences may be more common for service dog partners with disabilities not externally visible (i.e., invisible disabilities such as diabetes or substantially limiting mental health conditions). This integrative review highlights a pattern of social marginalization and stigmatization for some service dog partners, exacerbated by inadequate legal protection and widespread service dog fraud. These findings have implications for the individual well-being of people with disabilities partnered with service dogs and highlight a need for collective efforts to increase inclusion and access. Effective solutions likely require a multi-component approach operating at various socio-ecological levels.

This data set features businesses/individuals holding a DCA license so that they may legally operate in New York City. Note: Sightseeing guides and temporary street fair vendors are not included in this data set.
*Due to COVID-19 pandemic, DCA extended certain license expiration dates and renewal application deadlines which are not reflected in this data set. For more information, visit nyc.gov/BusinessToolbox.

Snapshot img

Pet Accessories Market Size 2025-2029

The pet accessories market size is forecast to increase by USD 15.87 billion at a CAGR of 6.6% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth due to several key factors. The increasing number of pet owners and their heightened spending on pets are major driving forces. Additionally, the advent of smart pet accessories, such as GPS tracking collars and automated feeders, is adding value to the market. Another trend influencing the market is the growing awareness of pet allergies among human beings, leading to a demand for hypoallergenic type. These factors are expected to fuel market growth in the coming years. The market presents numerous opportunities for businesses, particularly those offering innovative and technologically advanced products. However, challenges such as intense competition and the need for continuous product innovation remain. Overall, the market is poised for strong growth, driven by the love and care pet owners have for their furry companions.

What will be the Size of the Market During the Forecast Period?

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The market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing number of pet adoptions and the rising prioritization of pet wellbeing. According to recent studies, pet adoption rates have been on the rise, leading to an increase in pet expenditure on accessories such as collars, leashes, harnesses, beds, toys, grooming supplies, vitamins, organic food, and more. This trend is driven by pet owners' desire to provide their pets with a healthy lifestyle and ensure their wellbeing, which includes hygienic, odor-free, dander-reducing, and hair loss prevention accessories. New product varieties continue to emerge in response to these needs, including pet grooming accessories and pet grooming services. The focus on pet health and longevity is a key driver of market growth, with pet owners seeking to maintain their pets' hygiene and overall health.

How is this Industry segmented and which is the largest segment?

The industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Animal Type

  Dogs
  Cats
  Others


Product

  Pet toys
  Others


Distribution Channel

  Offline
  Online


End-user

  Pet owners
  Veterinary clinics
  Pet grooming salons


Price Range

  Budget
  Mid-Range
  Premium


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    Australia
    China
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Animal Type Insights

The dogs segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The market is driven by the increasing number of pet adoptions, particularly of dogs and cats. With a growing number of households owning pets, the demand for such as beds, toys, collars, leashes, harnesses, grooming supplies, vitamins, organic food, automatic pet feeders, and smart accessories is on the rise. The pet wellbeing trend is a significant factor contributing to this growth, as pet owners prioritize their pets' health and comfort. New product varieties, including eco-friendly and smart accessories, cater to the evolving needs and preferences of pet owners. The business is expected to expand further as more people humanize their pets, leading to a larger consumer base and opportunities for preventive products and pet health care.

Further, the use of recycled fabrics and plant-based materials also aligns with current consumer trends towards sustainability. The market is segmented into mass and luxury segments, catering to the varying needs and budgets of pet owners. The e-commerce industry's growth and the increasing availability of online pet brands make it easier for pet owners to access these products from the comfort of their homes, regardless of their living conditions, be it studio apartments or high-rise buildings.

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The dogs segment was valued at USD 14.39 billion in 2019 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

North America is estimated to contribute 48% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.

Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

For more insights on the market share of various regions, Request Free Sample

In North America, the market thrives due to the high pet adoption rate and the trend of pet humanization. With a significant portion of the population consisting of elderly individuals seeking companionship and nuclear families with dual incomes, pet ownersh

Prairie dogs have declined by 98% throughout their range in the grasslands of North America. Translocations have been used as a conservation tool to reestablish colonies of this keystone species and to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Understanding the behavioral responses of prairie dogs to translocation is of utmost importance to enhance the persistence of the species and for species that depend on them, including the critically endangered black-footed ferret. In 2017 and 2018, we translocated 658 black-tailed prairie dogs on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in central South Dakota, USA, a black-footed ferret recovery site. Here, we describe and evaluate the effectiveness of translocating prairie dogs into augered burrows and soft released within presumed coteries to reestablish colonies in previously occupied habitat. We released prairie dogs implanted with passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) and conducted recapture events approximately 1-month and 1-year post-release. We hypothesized that these methods would result in a successful translocation and that prairie dogs released as coteries would remain close to where they were released because of their highly social structure. In support of these methods leading to a successful translocation, 69% of marked individuals were captured 1-month post-release, and 39% were captured 1-year post-release. Furthermore, considerable recruitment was observed with 495 unmarked juveniles captured during the 1-year post-release trapping event, and the reestablished colony had more than doubled in area by 2021. Contrary to our hypothesis, yet to our knowledge a novel finding, there was greater initial movement within the colony 1-month post-release than expected based on recapture locations compared to published average territory size; however, 1-year after release most recaptured individuals were captured within the expected territory size when compared to capture locations 1-month post-release. This research demonstrates that while translocating prairie dogs may be socially disruptive initially, it is an important conservation tool. Methods Translocation, processing, and release We translocated prairie dogs from undesirable locations to two inactive prairie dog colonies (Charlie’s and Charlie’s South) that had previously experienced plague events within the Fort Hale Bottom prairie dog complex at the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation in central South Dakota, USA. At the time of capture, prairie dogs were weighed to a tenth of a gram and implanted with a passive integrated transponder (PIT: AVID® Identification Systems, Norco, CA) tag for individual identification. Sex and age classes (juvenile and adult) were recorded as determined by weight and appearance (Hoogland 1995). Prairie dogs were released into burrows to maintain the coteries of the source colonies. The spatial orientation of neighboring coteries from the source colonies was also maintained. Groups typically contained 1 adult male and the remaining individuals were adult females and juveniles of both sexes. Recapture To sample the population at the release site; animals were recaptured at approximately 1 month and 1-year post-translocation at both release sites to determine retention and to determine if, and how far, animals moved from where they were initially released. The prairie dogs translocated in 2017 (Charlie’s colony) were recaptured September 26–28, 2017, at 37–39 days (recapture 1) and August 16–18, 2018, at 361–363 days (recapture 2) post-initial release. The prairie dogs translocated in 2018 (Charlie’s South colony) were recaptured August 23–25, 2018, at 40–42 days (recapture 1) and August 21–23, 2019, 405–407 days (recapture 2) post initial release. Traps with individual identification tags were set in a 10 m x 10 m grid across the entire colony where active prairie dog presence was visible. All trap locations within the grid were recorded. Captured animals were weighed, scanned for PIT tag identification number, marked with permanent marker, and released into the nearest burrow. All individuals that did not have PIT tag identifiers were marked with permanent marker, and sex and age were recorded. During subsequent trapping days, traps that contained marked individuals were released immediately. Analyses Distance moved post-release To understand if prairie dogs remained within their coterie as released or if they moved within the colony and established new territories, we measured the distance from where each prairie dog was initially released to their 1-month location and from their 1-month location to their 1-year location in ArcGIS v10.7.1. Furthermore, we compared the average distance between recapture locations to the diameter of small (0.05 ha), average (0.32 ha), and large (1.01 ha) territory sizes (Hoogland 2006b) and identified the percent of prairie dogs that were recaptured within the given territory size across each time step. We used Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests to determine if the proportion of prairie dogs that moved in each territory size differed between the Charlie’s and Charlie’s South colonies. We assumed that the distance between release and 1-month locations and 1-month and 1-year locations could provide a representation of the territory size of their coteries. Effect of coterie dynamics on retention To determine if the number of individuals in a coterie and the age structure and sex composition of the coterie influenced retention, a binary response variable, we used generalized linear mixed models (GLMM; Jamil et al. 2013) in Program R statistical base package (R Development Core Team, Version 3.6.3 2020). Individuals were released with the coterie they were captured with, therefore, we included coterie as random effect to account for potential effects of social structure that might differ by coterie and not be explained by our predictor variables. In addition to sex (male or female), age (juvenile or adult), and the group size of the coterie, we also included weight (g), burrow release type (single or double openings), and release site (Charlie’s or Charlie’s South) as fixed effect predictor variables to account for additional variation. We also created a combined variable of sex and age (adult male or female and juvenile male or female). We did not allow these combined age-sex variables to enter the same model as age or sex because of the inherent correlation between them. No other variables were correlated at > 0.6. Rather than run all possible model combinations which can result in overly complicated models with reduced biological meaning, we used expert opinion to determine biologically relevant models based on the biology of the system. We also included a global and a null model with just the random effect and intercept. We calculated AICc because of small sample size, ΔAICc, AICc weight, and log-likelihood to rank models (Burnham and Anderson 2002). Models within 2 AICc of the top model were considered indistinguishable from each other (Burnham and Anderson 2002). Once top models were identified, we calculated model average parameter estimates with 95% confidence intervals (Arnold 2010). Parameters whose confidence intervals did not overlap zero were determined to be important predictors or prairie dog recapture success. We repeated this process for 1-month and 1-year post-release.

African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus, APD) are highly endangered, with fewer than 7,000 remaining in nature. Captive breeding programs can preserve a genetically diverse population and provide a source of individuals for re-introductions. However, most programs are initiated from few founders and suffer from low genetic diversity and inbreeding. The aims of this study were to use molecular markers to assess genetic variation, inbreeding, and relatedness among APDs in the North American captive population, to use these data to realign studbook records, and to compare these data to wild populations and to the European captive population to facilitate development of a global management plan. We sequenced mitochondrial and major histocompatibility (MHC) class II loci, and genotyped 14 microsatellite loci from 109 APDs from 34 institutions in North America. We identified three likely studbook errors and resolved ten cases of uncertain paternity. Overall, microsatellite heterozygosity was higher than reported in Europe, but effective population size estimates were lower. Mitochondrial sequence variation was extremely limited, and there were fewer MHC haplotypes than in Europe or the wild. Although the population did not show evidence of significant inbreeding overall, several individuals shared high relatedness values, which should be incorporated into future breeding programs.

Estimating the abundance or density of populations is fundamental to the conservation and management of species, and as landscapes become more fragmented, maintaining landscape connectivity has become one of the most important challenges for biodiversity conservation. Yet these two issues have never been formally integrated together in a model that simultaneously models abundance while accounting for connectivity of a landscape. We demonstrate an application of using capture-recapture to develop a model of animal density using a least-cost path model for individual encounter probability that accounts for non-Euclidean connectivity of a highly structured network. We utilized scat detection dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) as a means of collecting non-invasive genetic samples of American mink (Neovison vison) individuals, and used spatial capture-recapture models (SCR) to gain inferences about mink population density and connectivity. Density of mink was not constant across the landscape, bu...