Risk Factors for Dog Relinquishment to a Los Angeles Municipal Animal Shelter
1
Shelter Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), 307 NE Thornton Place #510, Seattle, WA 98125, USA
2
Shelter Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), 520 8th Ave, New York, NY 10018, USA
3
Shelter Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), 50 Stone Ridge Drive, Florence, MA 01062, USA
4
Shelter Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), 3201 SW Winding Way, Palm City, FL 34990, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Academic Editor: Clive J. C. Phillips
Animals 2015, 5(4), 1311-1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040413
Received: 15 September 2015 / Revised: 16 November 2015 / Accepted: 4 December 2015 / Published: 10 December 2015
Dog relinquishment is a large component of shelter intake in the United States. Research has shown traits of the dog are associated with relinquishment as well as general characteristics of those relinquishing. Low income is often cited as a risk factor for relinquishment. The majority of people with lower incomes, however, do not relinquish. A group of people accessing a shelter in a low socioeconomic region of Los Angeles to relinquish their dogs was surveyed. This study examined risk factors for relinquishment, controlling for household income, compared to a group utilizing low cost spay/neuter services. A total of 76.9% of those relinquishing noted cost as a reason for relinquishment. Of participants in the relinquishment group, 80.7% reported not being aware of any services available to them. Most notable in the findings was that the odds of relinquishment were generally higher as the amount of perceived stress in the home in the past three months increased. The majority of people in both groups reported being emotionally attached to the dog. In this sample from a South Los Angeles community, the majority of reasons for relinquishment were likely solvable with assistance. These findings highlight an opportunity to assess community needs and provide community specific alternatives to relinquishment.
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Keywords:
pet relinquishment; animal shelter; poverty; dogs; perceived stress
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MDPI and ACS Style
Dolan, E.D.; Scotto, J.; Slater, M.; Weiss, E. Risk Factors for Dog Relinquishment to a Los Angeles Municipal Animal Shelter. Animals 2015, 5, 1311-1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040413
AMA Style
Dolan ED, Scotto J, Slater M, Weiss E. Risk Factors for Dog Relinquishment to a Los Angeles Municipal Animal Shelter. Animals. 2015; 5(4):1311-1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040413
Chicago/Turabian StyleDolan, Emily D.; Scotto, Jamie; Slater, Margaret; Weiss, Emily. 2015. "Risk Factors for Dog Relinquishment to a Los Angeles Municipal Animal Shelter" Animals 5, no. 4: 1311-1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040413
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