By Zazie Todd, PhD
The review, past times Dr. Alexandra Protopopova (Texas Tech University) in addition to Lisa Gunter, looks at the factors that touching on adoption rates, the effects of interventions, in addition to how to decrease the numbers of people giving their dogs to shelters (or returning dogs after adoption). The review is of import because it volition assistance shelters to know almost evidence-based ways to trim down the number of dogs inward shelters.
Although some factors vary from 1 province to another, some things are consistent: people pass rattling petty fourth dimension looking at a shelter domestic dog earlier deciding to adopt, in addition to they pay attending to the dog’s size, breed, in addition to colour.
Dogs tin travel far at shelters every bit strays (the most mutual road inward the US), past times beingness surrendered past times their possessor (about 30% of dogs inward shelters inward the US), after beingness seized inward an animate beingness cruelty investigation, or past times beingness returned next an adoption that has non worked out.
The review establish a dog’s appearance is an of import element inward its adoption. People also seem to prefer dogs that were surrendered past times their possessor rather than strays, in addition to are influenced past times breed labels amongst dogs described every bit pit-bull types taking longer to travel adopted. One report at a Florida shelter establish that removing breed labels was successful at improving adoption rates of pit-bull type dogs (adoption rates of other dogs were unchanged).
If people make upward one's hear to pass fourth dimension amongst a dog, in addition to then its deportment becomes to a greater extent than important, amongst people adopting dogs they depict every bit showing calmness, friendliness in addition to playfulness. But the conclusion to adopt a domestic dog or non is typically made after solely 8 minutes.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 report past times people are to a greater extent than probable to adopt a domestic dog if it plays amongst them in addition to lies downward close them. Following this, Protopopova et al (2016) establish adoption rates were increased 2.5 times amongst an intervention that both encouraged play (using the dog’s favourite toy) in addition to and then keeping the domestic dog on a curt leash in addition to using treats to lure it into a downward put close the potential adopter.
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| Photo: Tom Feist; top, Emily on Time; both Shutterstock. |
Other strategies lead hold looked at reducing the number of dogs relinquished or returned to shelters. Young dogs are to a greater extent than probable to travel relinquished, in addition to at that spot are differences betwixt relinquished dogs in addition to those kept, every bit good every bit betwixt the people who relinquish dogs in addition to those who don’t. Moving identify in addition to difficulties inward finding rental homes that lead hold pets, in addition to personal issues, all play a utilisation too, showing how complicated an number it is.
About 15% of adopted dogs are later on returned to the shelter inward the US. Again, returned dogs are typically young, in addition to at that spot is a arrive at of reasons including housing, personal issues, in addition to deportment issues that are typically spotted quite shortly after the domestic dog was taken home.
Since hence many dogs cease upward inward shelters every bit strays, microchipping in addition to identification tags would travel a long agency to beingness able to homecoming dogs to their owners. Unfortunately, studies of providing pedagogy and/or grooming in addition to deportment information to people adopting dogs lead hold non ever had the positive results you lot powerfulness expect. However, a programme that used foster homes (including giving the foster responsibleness for finding the domestic dog a novel home) had promising results.
The review also looks at the issues amongst behavioural assessments of shelter dogs, in addition to points out areas where nosotros involve to know to a greater extent than (such every bit the deportment of people thinking of adopting a dog). Finally, wider community interest may assistance too.
Although nosotros know quite a lot almost how dogs cease upward inward shelters, a lot to a greater extent than question is needed to assistance pattern evidence-based programs to trim down relinquishment in addition to increment adoptions. This newspaper is a useful summary of what nosotros know hence far.
You tin follow the researchers on Facebook: physician Alexandra Protopopova at the Human-Animal Interaction Lab in addition to Lisa Gunter is business office of the Canine Science Collaboratory headed past times physician Clive Wynne.
Zazie Todd, PhD, is the writer of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy
. She is the founder of the pop weblog , where she writes almost everything from grooming methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today in addition to has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article inward 2017. Todd lives inward Maple Ridge, BC, amongst her husband, 1 dog, in addition to 2 cats.Useful links:
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Reference
Protopopova, A., & Gunter, L. M. (2017). Adoption in addition to relinquishment interventions at the animate beingness shelter: a review. Animal Welfare, 26(1), 35-48.
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