Why dogs are our communities' best friend too

Dr Graeme Brown travels to remote places to deepen our understanding of infectious diseases – through the lens of dog health.

Dr Graeme Brown is working to improve canine health in remote Indigenous communities

It’s not a glamorous job, but for Australia’s remote desert communities, it’s a necessary one. Infectious diseases pose serious health concerns not only to dogs but to the communities in which they live.

It’s common to hear the phrase ‘dogs are like family’ in Indigenous communities. Research shows that despite the sometimes outward appearance of neglect, dogs play an integral role in these groups, and the human-dog bond is very strong. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them. When Dr Brown conducted his PhD research in a desert community of 800 people northwest of Alice Springs, he counted 550 dogs.

The sheer volume means diseases such as salmonella and campylobacter are easily spread. Dr Brown attributes this in part to what he describes as the “degradation of the ecosystem”, particularly evident in the harsh conditions of desert environments where poor nutrition has impacted natural cycles and immune systems.

The health of dogs in Indigenous communities is a gateway to community health

The current poor state of dog health is the result of many factors: poor access to veterinary services, socio-economic disadvantage, and lack of cross-cultural awareness in animal health education programs. These are the challenges that face the Veterinary Science faculty, as they promote and protect veterinary public health in Indigenous communities.

One of the faculty’s initiatives is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage project called Healthy Dogs, Healthy Communities – Dr Brown is part of this team. Together, they are investigating ways to improve canine health in remote Indigenous communities and bring health benefits to the wider community.

Across six sites in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, the team conducts dog health and welfare surveys. The data is used to develop culturally appropriate education interventions to improve the health and welfare of these dogs.

Dr Brown’s expertise in infectious diseases is an example of the project’s interdisciplinary approach. Other contributions are made by team members with a focus on communication and education.

Dr Robert Dixon, the project leader, specialises in animal welfare and public health. Dr Sophie Constable and Dr Rose Dixon develop knowledge-sharing programs that are culturally appropriate and specific to each community.

In one region they commissioned female artists to paint stories conveying information on dog health. They also work with local environmental health workers to produce appropriate promotional material.

Layla Schrieber, an Indigenous master's student, is studying the epidemiology of human and canine streptococci in a North Queensland community. Based ‘in community’, Schrieber finds that research is only part of the job description.

“The larger role I find myself doing is supporting local animal health workers. We’ve started dog health days, which we promote by going into schools the week before and getting the kids to look at parasites under the microscope. It helps get them excited about the day. These kinds of community relationships are important.”