Roughly five to seven million animals – mostly cats and dogs – are taken in by animal shelters in North America every year. Some find new homes, but about half are euthanized.
Pathobiology master’s student Rachael Mozes couldn’t help but wonder what made the difference. Why did some animals find new homes and new families, while others met an early death? Were there some factors that might be altered by the people working in the shelter to help more animals find homes with caring families? What role does disease play in an animal’s chance of being adopted or euthanized?
Mozes worked with her advisers, Profs. Scott Weese and David Pearl, to make a connection with the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society. The society agreed to send her data about the animals they cared for in 2011. She’s now carefully analyzing this material to sift out the important factors.
“There are limitations,” Mozes cautions. “It’s only data from one shelter, and it’s a very well-run shelter, so what we find may not reflect what goes on in other shelters.”
In fact, the euthanasia rate at the K-W shelter is only 24 per cent, considerably lower than average. Still, the data provides a good starting point for understanding why some animals are chosen and some are not.
There were more than 10,000 admissions to the K-W shelter in 2011. Most were feline: 4,305 cats and 2,606 kittens, followed by 2,928 dogs and 336 puppies.
The first factor in euthanasia rates was the species of animal: the highest rates were seen among adult cats, then kittens, then adult dogs, then puppies. “The cats are more likely to be euthanized simply because there are so many of them,” says Mozes. “It’s the opposite for puppies. There are fewer coming into shelters, and everyone wants a puppy.”
A staff member at the shelter recorded the reason when the decision was made to euthanize an animal. Since the notations were made by various people, they may not be consistent, but they do illustrate some patterns.
The most common reason for euthanasia was behaviour. “Dogs at the shelter are given behaviour tests, and if they fail, they are considered to be not adoptable and will be euthanized,” explains Mozes. Failure might result from aggressive behaviour towards humans, for example.
“Cats are not tested in the same way, but they might be euthanized because they are peeing in the house or scratching and biting aggressively,” she adds. “Some of these behaviours might be modifiable, but when there are so many more cats admitted than there are homes for them, tough decisions need to be made.”
Other common reasons for euthanasia include pre-existing conditions, like severe injuries from a car accident, or contagious diseases that could spread to other animals in the shelter. “Sick animals cost money to treat,” explains Mozes, “and while most minor illnesses are treated, sometimes the cost is hard to justify given the number of cats available.”
She says simple changes in shelter routines such as ensuring staff always go from a healthy animal to a sick animal as they do their tasks, rather than the other way around, may reduce infection rates. Knowing what infections occur, when they occur and their impact on the animals is critical for devising effective infection prevention and control strategies.
A lack of space in the shelter can also lead to weeding out animals, although Mozes says that foster families are used as often as possible to maximize the number of animals that can be cared for.
Age is also a significant factor. Kittens and puppies tend to be chosen over older animals, yet Mozes reminds us that mature cats and dogs can make excellent pets without the hassles of housebreaking and chewing.
She is now analyzing additional data to find more factors that may make an animal more or less likely to be adopted. The information could help shelters prioritize animals for adoption as well as figure out ways to make less adoptable animals more attractive to prospective owners.
Mozes says some of those causes are already known: black cats are chosen less often because of superstitions about them, while more exotic cat breeds are most likely to be picked. Smaller dogs are more likely to find homes, while the breeds considered by some to be more aggressive – Doberman, Rottweiler and German Shepherd – tend to be left behind. Even the dog’s colour matters: merle, red and tri-coloured dogs are chosen over tan and black dogs.
Mozes believes that government support for shelters could help protect more animals. “This is a public health issue as well as an animal welfare one,” she says. “Bringing animals into shelters helps prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases. In fact, that was the original goal and purpose of shelters.” Today, though, she says there is an urgent need for more space in shelters, rooms where sick animals can be kept separately, and funds for vaccinations, medication and veterinary care.
Public education is also important. “I think we could do more to let people know about the less popular breeds and colours, and how an older pet might work well for their families,” she says.
