News Notes

Not Enough People Adopting from Shelters

For the fourth year in a row, animal shelters across the country are facing a crisis—they are overcapacity, according to a new report from Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

An estimated 6.5 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2023 alone, and populations increased by 900,000 animals since January 2021, according to Shelter Animals Count. And they are staying in shelters longer compared with 2019, the group said.

The Hill’s Pet Nutrition research provides insights from a socioeconomically diverse group of 2,500 current and prospective pet owners to better understand consumer perceptions and behaviors driving the increase in animal intakes in animal shelters and decrease in adoption rates.

“Collaboration and a community-centric approach are crucial to finding impactful ways to address pet homelessness and overcapacity issues in animal shelters,” said Karen Shenoy, DVM, the U.S. chief veterinary officer at Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Key Findings
Overall, Americans are open to adopting shelter pets, and younger generations are even more likely to adopt:

•  66% of people are likely to adopt shelter pets
• Of Gen Z and Millennials who have adopted a shelter pet before, 90% and 94% respectively are likely to adopt again; and for those who’ve never adopted a shelter pet, 75% and 77% respectively are likely to adopt

Cost of Pet Ownership Continues to Be Top Barrier to Adoption
Respondents’ top concerns about owning a pet relate mostly to the finances involved in caring for a pet:

• Nearly 50% of respondents said overall cost of pet ownership was the biggest challenge to pet ownership
• 84% of respondents said veterinary care is the most expensive part of owning a pet

Pet adoption is less accessible for people making less than $75,000:

• Those making less than $75,000 are more likely to surrender a pet due to financial difficulties and are more likely to say the cost of pet ownership exceeded their expectations
• Those making less than $50,000 are more likely to have experienced at least 1 pet-related housing restriction and are more likely to say the cost of veterinary care impacts their decision to adopt

Post-Adoption Support Is Key to Reducing Returns and Relinquishments
Offering pet owners post-adoption support, especially behavior services, is a powerful tool for keeping more pets with their families:

• Respondents rated post-adoption behavioral services more likely to positively influence adoption (34%) than pre-adoption behavioral services (30%).
• Of respondents who experienced post-adoption anxiety, 46% said behavioral issues were the top driving force.
• Of individuals who had relinquished a pet, 24% said behavioral/training issues were the top reason for surrendering.
• 94% of pet owners considering relinquishment kept their pet after receiving support

“Animal sheltering organizations across the country are now grappling with a ‘new normal’ where dogs are now waiting nearly twice as long to get adopted than they were prior to the pandemic,” said Stephanie Filer, the executive director at Shelter Animals Count. MeV

For More Information: 2024 Hill’s Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report July 25, 2024

www.hillspet.com/shelter