The Dog Days of Detroit: Urban Stray and Feral Animals

Abstract

This article details the extent and import of the stray and feral dog problem in the City of Detroit in the context of regime and network theories of governance. Using data drawn from a survey of animal welfare service providers, this article provides a description of the complex and essentially grass roots service provision network currently in place to address the problem. The primary cause of the roaming dog problem in the city is the poor economy and the problem is worse in the most distressed neighborhoods. Several factors serve as barriers to addressing the issue. First, the actual number of roaming dogs is a question of contention in the city. Second, weaknesses in the city governing system and scarce resources have limited the public response to the problem. As a result, services are provided by an unstable and fragmented network of nonprofit organizations largely located outside the city of Detroit itself.