STATUS: Active 

Animals Fiji, in partnership with SPCA Fiji Islands, has launched a national  Behavioural Prioritisation Matrix (BPM) survey to engage community members in future Dog Population Management (DPM) programs.

The survey allows Fijians to express their views on DPM strategies and their likelihood of adopting identified behaviours and interventions.

A Behavioural Prioritisation Matrix survey is a research tool used to quantify behavioural data. Specifically, it aims to identify behaviours that are anticipated to have a significant impact, have a high adoption probability and are not widely practised by the community.

The BPM survey aims to understand the following:

• What actions are people taking, or willing to take, to manage Fiji’s FRD population and reduce issues like dog bites or livestock attacks?
• Why do some people not want to take these actions?
• What actions can organisations involved in DPM take to help address the FRD population?

Successful DPM strategies must adapt to local community contexts. Insights into how people manage dogs, along with knowledge of local dog population dynamics, are crucial for designing interventions that are both relevant and effective. 

Alongside this survey, we are also implementing a nationwide expert survey for those with considerable expertise in DPM.

Expert and community responses will be combined to calculate a “Total Weighted Impact” (TWI) score. This will rank behaviours and interventions by their potential to improve DPM in Fiji. 

We will recommend the highest-ranked interventions to policymakers and government ministers, who can consider and enact DPM interventions. 

The BPM survey is now open. You can complete the BPM survey if you are: 

• 18 years of age or over 
• Currently living in Fiji 

The survey will take around 20 minutes to complete: https://s.surveyplanet.com/urroa1il

PRESS: 

Read the Fiji Sun article here: 
https://www.pressreader.com/fiji/fiji-sun/20251101/281736980697176

Featured Researchers: 

• Dr Jessica Hoopes 
• Sofia Weerts 
• Casey Quimby 

STATUS:

• 2023: Published
• 2025: Analytic Phase

In many Fijian communities, free-roaming dogs (FRD) are reliant on humans in some capacity. Human behaviours such as ownership apathy and the (lack of) provision of veterinary care (i.e., vaccinations and desexing) contribute to the FRD population.

Addressing Fiji’s FRD population requires moving beyond short-term fixes, such as relying on subsidised veterinary services, towards long-term behavioural change.

Improvements in responsible pet ownership practices can only be achieved through a comprehensive understanding of human behaviours at a household level.

Dr. Jessica Hoopes and Casey Quimby led baseline data collection in the Tavakubu Ward of Lautoka from July to September 2023. Tavakubu’s population density and presence of FRDs made it a suitable location that reflects broader dog population trends across Viti Levu.

Baseline data collection included:

1. Street Dog Counts: All FRDs sighted along a predetermined route were photographed and their physical characteristics recorded to track changes in the size and health of the FRD population over time.
2. Household surveys: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys were conducted in Tavakubu. The survey asked about dog ownership, ownership practices, and attitudes towards dogs.

Data from this fieldwork has officially been published in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health in 2026. This is an exciting milestone for both Animals Fiji and all animal welfare organisations and policy makers as it is the first study in Fiji and the wider Pacific in this field.

The study, authored by Casey Quimby, Jasmine Dhillon, Tomasi Tunabuna, and Jessica Hoopes, can be read here: 

https://jsmcah.org/index.php/jasv/article/view/166

The 2023 survey found that 45% of respondent households owned at least one dog, yet only 11.3% had their pets desexed. The primary barriers to desexing were the perceived cost and awareness of its importance.

In October and November 2025, we continued our research in Tavakubu, recording 626 dog sightings and conducted 309 door-to-door (KAP) surveys.

Capturing community-level data allows us to assess the impact of our sterilisation interventions and investigate the root causes behind the FRD population.

PRESS: 

Read the full study here: 

https://jsmcah.org/index.php/jasv/article/view/166

Read the Fiji Sun article here:

 https://fijisun.com.fj/news/nation/study-links-dog-ownership-practices-to-stray-dog-population

Read the Fiji Times article here:

https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/study-highlights-free-roaming-dog-concerns-in-fiji/



Read the Fiji Sun article here: 

https://www.pressreader.com/fiji/fiji-sun/20250912/281818584973901

Featured Researchers:

• Dr Jessica Hoopes
• Sofia Weerts
• Casey Quimby

STATUS: Analytic Phase

Animals Fiji are expanding our Dog Population Managment (DPM) research to Vanua Levu.

Specifically, our research are carrying out baseline data collection in Savusavu. 

Similar to our research in Tavakubu, this data will be used to understand local dog population dynamics and community attitudes towards dogs and dog ownership practices.

Baseline data collection included:

1. Street Dog Counts: All FRDs sighted along a predetermined route were photographed and their physical characteristics recorded to track changes in the size and health of the FRD population over time.
   Household surveys: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys were conducted in Tavakubu. The survey asked about dog ownership, ownership practices, and attitudes towards dogs.

Featured Researchers: 

• Dr Jessica Hoopes 
• Sofia Weerts 
• Casey Quimby