• Vinu Cherian, Preeti Dugg, and Amir Maroof Khan.
• Department of Community Medicine, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
• Indian J Community Med. 2020 Jan 1; 45 (1): 89-91.

BackgroundIndia has lowly prioritized pet-associated zoonosis as a public health priority because data regarding the same and the susceptible population involved are sparse.ObjectiveTo find the proportion of pet dog ownership in a settled urban colony of East Delhi and to assess awareness regarding canine zoonotic diseases and responsible pet ownership.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 700 participants in an urban colony of East Delhi.ResultsThe proportion of pet dog owners was 5.4%. Only one-third (34.2%) of the respondents were aware that pets are a source of disease. A majority of pet owners (86.8%) identified rabies as a disease caused by the bite of only stray dogs. The proportion of responsible pet owners was 39.4%. Only one-tenth of surveyed households had registered their pet with the local municipal authorities, despite such registration being a compulsory requirement by law.ConclusionThis study provides us with a better understanding of the lacunae in awareness of zoonotic diseases and its preventive measures among pet owners. All pet owners have a responsibility to ensure that their pets are healthy and free from disease.Copyright: © 2020 Indian Journal of Community Medicine.

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