Factors that Influence Intake to One Municipal Animal Control Facility in Florida: A Qualitative Study

Correlating Access to Primary Medical Care and Veterinary Care Providers: A Novel Application of Spatial Gravity Modelling

Increasingly, health professionals are recognizing the need for a more holistic, or One Health, approach to wellness. Companion animals share the lives and homes of many Americans, and yet little research exists on the intersection of disparities of access to veterinary care and access to human health care. This research aims to fill that gap by exploring the use of a spatial model that identifies the relationship of supply and demand while also considering reductions as a function of travel time to a care facility. Four counties in Alabama were analyzed at the census tract level to determine the supply of primary care physicians and veterinary care providers. This research provides a unique application of the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area model by independently examining access to each type of care and then comparing both access supply values at the census level. Results indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between access to both types of care, implying areas with lower access to primary care have concomitantly low access to veterinary care. Implications for practice include the introduction of this methodological approach, identification of future parameter specification research to improve the approach, and identification of an area of significant concern in the One Health framework. Further, the results can inform solution strategies such as offering integrated care interventions for both humans and their companion animal household members with direct use for policymakers aimed at increasing equitable access to health care across the One Health spectrum.

A mixed-method analysis of the consistency of intake information reported by shelter staff upon owner surrender of dogs

Data collected by animal shelters can provide an overview of population numbers and recommendations for shelter management and community programming. While studies utilize data from shelter software, questions remain on whether such data are reliable. The objective of the online experiment was to determine the agreement in data input for surrender reason, breed, and color across shelter staff (n = 81) when presented with four complex narratives of fictional owners surrendering dogs. Additionally, we aimed to understand how staff select surrender reasons for data input through qualitative analysis. Out of 40 possible surrender reasons, the number of unique reasons selected for each scenario ranged from 12-16, suggesting a variety of possible data entries for the same surrender narrative. Agreement was also low for breed and color. Shelter staff described a variety of different methods of determining the surrender reason for input into shelter software, such as asking the owner for their most influential reason or inferring the underlying reason. Further research is required to understand how animal shelter data can be collected consistently in a way that can meaningfully inform shelter management decisions.

The Impact of the Social Determinants of Human Health on Companion Animal Welfare

The social determinants of health (SDH) focus on the social, physical and economic factors that impact human health. Studies have revealed that animal guardians face a range of challenges in attaining positive welfare outcomes for their companion animals, which can be influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Despite this, there is a lack of research specifically exploring the relationship between SDH and animal welfare outcomes. Given that the SDH impact on humans, which in turn directly impacts on their companion animal, it is important to adapt an SDH framework for companion animal welfare by characterising the impact of the SDH on companion animal guardians in their attempts to care for their animals and, by extension, the associated welfare outcomes. This paper explores how these human health determinants may impact animal welfare and the possible challenges that may arise for the guardian when attempting to meet their companion animal's welfare needs. By integrating the SDH with other key frameworks, including the five domains model of animal welfare, through multidisciplinary collaboration, this framework can be used to inform future programs aiming to improve animal welfare.

Animal sheltering: A scoping literature review grounded in institutional ethnography

A diverse research literature now exists on the animals, staff and organisations involved in animal sheltering. We reviewed this research through the lens of institutional ethnography, a method of inquiry that focuses on the actual work that people do within institutions. The main topics, identified through a larger ethnographic study of animal sheltering, were: (i) research about shelter staff and officers; (ii) the relinquishment of animals to shelters; and (iii) animals' length of stay in shelters. After reviewing the literature, we held focus groups with shelter personnel to explore how their work experiences are or are not represented in the research. The review showed that stress caused by performing euthanasia has attracted much research, but the decision-making that leads to euthanasia, which may involve multiple staff and potential conflict, has received little attention. Research on 'compassion fatigue' has also tended to focus on euthanasia but a granular description about the practical and emotional work that personnel undertake that generates such fatigue is missing. Published research on both relinquishment and length of stay is dominated by metrics (questionnaires) and often relies upon shelter records, despite their limitations. Less research has examined the actual work processes involved in managing relinquishment as well as monitoring and reducing animals' length of stay. Institutional ethnography's focus on people's work activities can provide a different and more nuanced understanding of what is happening in animal sheltering and how it might better serve the needs of the animals and staff.

Direct and Indirect Factors Influencing Cat Outcomes at an Animal Shelter

Animal shelters play a vital role for pets, such as transitioning animals between homes, from outdoor communities into homes, caring for unadoptable and community animals, and providing a breadth of veterinary and welfare services. The goal of shelters is to move cats to their appropriate outcome as quickly as possible, which for many animals, is to rehome them as quickly as possible through adoption. Therefore, the ability to identify pre-existing factors, particularly those occurring outside the walls of the shelter, which result in specific outcomes is vital. In this study, we used structural equation modeling to test four hypotheses addressing how to predict cat outcome from a shelter in Washington, D.C. We developed four hypotheses that described how cat outcomes could be predicted, based on four general factors: (1) The characteristics of the cats; (2) The location of origin; (3) The type and date of intake; (4) The length of stay. Using 4 years of data from the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C., we found support for each of our hypotheses. Additionally, we tested and found support for a global model, which comprised an amalgamation of our all our predictors. From the global model, we can conclude that many factors are at play in predicting cat outcomes in this shelter and very likely in many others as well. Critically, these factors are interconnected, indicating, for example, that cat characteristics mediate the influence of intake location on outcome type. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of incorporating influences beyond the shelter when attempting to understand cat outcomes. Therefore, to modify cat outcomes most efficiently, such as increasing adoption probabilities, our results show that efforts may be most effective when incorporating multiple factors.

Opportunities for Expanding Access to Veterinary Care: Lessons From COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people and professions around the world, including veterinary medicine. The epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 broadened the definition of vulnerability in human populations, and the virus' economic impacts exacerbated well-established financial barriers to providing equal access to medical care. The objective of this study was to explore how the pandemic was impacting access to companion animal care in the months March-September of 2020, with a focus on traditionally vulnerable as well as newly vulnerable populations. Additionally, this study sought to identify areas on which the veterinary profession can focus in order to help increase access to veterinary care, including the veterinary school curriculum, continuing education, and telemedicine. We conducted surveys and interviews with animal owners (n = 1009), veterinarians and clinic staff (n = 516), and access to veterinary care organizations (n = 17). Collectively, these responses highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic created new, and amplified existing, issues with accessing and providing veterinary care. Three critical themes arose; (1) opportunities for further learning for the veterinary profession; including curricula around telemedicine, financially resilient business models and understanding health disparities and vulnerable populations; (2) a need for a network of collaboration and communication across veterinary clinics and access to care organizations and (3) future preparedness for health, economic or other crises response. Overall, the pandemic emphasized the complexity of access to care, as well as the role of veterinarians in public health. This information can be used to develop strategies to aid in increased access to veterinary care now and in the face of future disasters.

The Evolving Role of Triage and Appointment-Based Admission to Improve Service, Care and Outcomes in Animal Shelters

The historical norm for many animal shelters has been to admit animals on an unscheduled basis, without prior assessment of animal or client need or regard to the shelter's ability to deliver humane care or ensure appropriate outcomes. This approach allows little opportunity to provide finders or owners with alternatives to keep pets safe in their homes or community rather than being impounded. In addition to needlessly impounding animals and separating pets from families, unmanaged/unscheduled admission frequently results in animal influx exceeding shelter capacity, leading to crowding, stress, disease, and euthanasia of animals, as well as poor customer experience, compromised staffing efficiency and decreased organizational effectiveness. Many of these harmful consequences disproportionately impact vulnerable community members and their pets. Triage and appointment-based services have been well developed in healthcare and other service sectors allowing organizations to prioritize the most urgent cases, align services with organizational resources and provide situation-specific solutions that may include virtual support or referral as appropriate. This article discusses the trend in animal sheltering toward triage and appointment-based services that parallels the use of these practices in human healthcare. Reported positive results of this approach are detailed including improved staff morale, reduced disease rates and substantially reduced euthanasia. These positive outcomes support the endorsement of triage and appointment-based services by multiple North American animal welfare professional and academic organizations, recognizing that it better realizes the goals of shelters to serve the common good of animals and people in the most humane, equitable and effective possible way.

Assessing the Impact of a Virtual Shelter Medicine Rotation on Veterinary Students' Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Regarding Access to Veterinary Care

Strong bonds commonly form between companion animals and people of all socio-demographic backgrounds, yet many pet owners face numerous barriers to accessing veterinary care for their companion animals. For example, they may have difficulties paying for care; they may lack veterinary practices in their community; and they may experience language barriers that impede their ability to utilize veterinary services. Various strategies exist that can help veterinarians address the diverse needs of pet owners in their communities, but these techniques are not commonly covered in the veterinary school curriculum. This study explored how including in-depth, purposefully curated information about access to veterinary care issues within a required shelter medicine rotation impacted fourth-year veterinary students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the problems clients commonly face when seeking access to veterinary care. Students participated either in a control group of a virtual, four-week rotation delivered via Zoom meetings and self-study, or in an experimental group that additionally completed an interactive online learning module. The online module heavily featured issues surrounding access to veterinary care. Irrespective of which version of the rotation students enrolled, their opinions grew more favorable from pretest to post-test regarding the role of not-for-profit veterinary clinics in communities, as did their expectations that veterinarians should provide affordable treatment options. Additionally, students in the experimental group demonstrated from pretest to post-test increased awareness of the potential for implicit bias toward pet owners within veterinary practice and showed a reduction in their tendency to be judgmental of veterinary clients. By the end of the study, students in the experimental group also expressed greater confidence in their ability to offer incremental care treatment options to veterinary clients. These findings suggest that providing content that focuses on increasing access to veterinary care enhances students' awareness of the need to offer a variety of treatment and payment options to clients. Findings from this study can inform curriculum design in veterinary schools and continuing education programs for veterinary professionals.

Where Are We on the Animal Welfare Map? Using GIS to Assess Stakeholder Diversity and Inclusion

Inequities exist in all facets of society, and animal welfare organizations (AWOs) and their communities are no exception. These organizations interface with multiple stakeholder groups. An active analysis of stakeholder groups to identify under-served areas and communities has not been performed. Using stakeholder data from Toronto Humane Society (THS) from 2015–2019, this study performed a retrospective spatial analysis to identify well served and under-served geographic areas for adopters, surrenders, public veterinary service (PVS) clients, volunteers and foster parents, using Hot Spot analysis. Correlation analysis was performed to determine whether the spatial distribution of the groups correlated with the four socioeconomic metrics of the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index (residential instability, material deprivation, dependency, and ethnic concentration), and a metric representing the distribution of Indigenous residents. For each stakeholder group, there were well served areas, typically in central Toronto where THS is located, and under-served areas, typically in the north-west and north-east corners of Toronto and in the surrounding cities of the Greater Toronto Area. The area served by THS PVS extended further north than the other hot spot areas. The number of adopters increased as the residential instability metric increased, whereas the number of adopters decreased as the ethnic concentration metric increased. The rate of surrenders increased as the Indigenous metric increased. Public Veterinary Service clients increased as the residential instability, material deprivation, and Indigenous metrics increased. One of the primary limitations of this study was the confounding factor of distance from THS. Individuals living further from THS are less likely to utilize its services, particularly if there is another accessible AWO nearby, and therefore may appear to reflect an under-served population that may not truly be under-served. A regional approach would help to overcome this limitation. The results provide useful insights into stakeholder engagement and provide a foundation for analysis of more targeted areas, as well as for strategies to reach under-served demographics. Similar analyses by other AWOs would be helpful to address inequities in a larger geographic area. Animal welfare organizations can improve program effectiveness by adding data analytics skills to the more traditional skills associated with this sector.

Inequitable Flow of Animals in and Out of Shelters: Comparison of Community-Level Vulnerability for Owner-Surrendered and Subsequently Adopted Animals

There is increasing awareness among animal shelter professionals regarding the role of shelters in perpetuating inequities in pet ownership, although the relationship between owner vulnerabilities and animal shelter services is largely understudied. Currently, there is no literature comparing the sociodemographic conditions of communities where surrendered animals originate and communities where they are adopted. The present study compared the "flow" of surrendered animals between originating communities (incoming) and communities where they were adopted (outgoing; n = 21,270). To analyze community-level vulnerability, we used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which has four dimensions of social vulnerability. We found that three of the four CIMD dimensions were significantly different between surrendering and adopting communities (Ethnocultural Composition, Situational Vulnerability (SV), Economic Dependency, but not Residential Instability). For further investigation, we also grouped our analysis by intake groups (small animal n = 2,682; puppy n = 973; dog n = 3,446; kitten n = 6,436; cat n= 7,733) and found multiple relationships for which the incoming and outgoing CIMD quintiles were different. For example, for both puppies and kittens, the median outgoing SV quintile ranks were statistically significantly lower (less vulnerable) than incoming quintile ranks, with the effect size being moderate (puppy r = 0.31, kitten r = 0.30; p ≤ 0.0025), supporting the concern of the flow of certain animals from more vulnerable to less vulnerable communities. The results of this research provide a basis for understanding potential inequities in the use of shelter services to surrender or adopt an animal. Furthermore, these methods allow animal shelters to assess community needs and create interventions to reduce intake and increase adoption of animals. Finally, these data provide further support that animal sheltering is best considered from a One Welfare perspective.

Love, fear, and the human-animal bond: On adversity and multispecies relationships

Love and strong social bonds are known buffers in the experience of adversity. Humans often form strong bonds with non-human animals. The human-animal bond refers to a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between humans and non-human animals. Previous research suggests that strong bonds with pets may promote resilience in the experience of adversity, but a strong bond with a pet can also complicate this very experience of adversity, particularly among low-resourced and disadvantaged populations. What is the role of the human-animal bond in adversity, and what is the role of adversity in the bond between a human and a non-human animal? In this article we outline the state of research on the role of various types and sources of adversities in multispecies households (i.e., families, relationships) to consider this overarching question. We focus specifically on intimate partner violence, housing discrimination, LGBTQ+ identity-based discrimination, racism, neighborhood disadvantage, and economic inequality. We then outline an agenda for future research about love, adversity, and multispecies relationships, and discuss implications for public policy and community-based interventions.

A New Web-Based Tool for RTO-Focused Animal Shelter Data Analysis

Animal shelters are increasingly interested in reducing their intake and helping their communities keep and care for animals. Improving Return-to-Owner (RTO) rates of stray dogs is one path to save significant shelter space, time, and costs and keep animals with their caregivers and communities. Aggregating and visualizing RTO data spatially are useful for identifying trends and highlighting areas for potential interventions. Since shelters collect similar data, an interactive web application was developed to make such an analysis easily reproducible. This paper presents the tool's capabilities via a case study of 2019 data from the Dallas Animal Services shelter, covering the relationship between stray intake and RTO rate, the distances traveled from home by RTOed strays, microchip use across the city and its relationship with RTO rate, and the length of stay of RTOs and other outcome groups. Findings include showing that 70% of RTOed strays traveled at most 1 mile away from home and 42% up to block away, and that at-large, adult strays that had a microchip had a 71% RTO rate compared with 39% without one. The results affected the shelter's hold time for strays, highlighted target areas for microchip programs, and motivated neighborhood-based methods to locate found dogs' owners. Shelters are welcome to use the tool and participate in the development of new analytical lenses and visualizations that would best suit their needs.

Climate Change and Companion Animals: Identifying Links and Opportunities for Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

Recent natural disasters and weather extremes are a stark reminder that we live in a climate crisis. Climate scientists and policymakers have asked each discipline to anticipate and create mitigation and adaptation plans in preparation for a worsening future. Companion animals both impact and are impacted by the changing climate through their intrinsically linked relationships to human society. In this theoretical paper, we argue that companion animal scientists are well-suited to address climate change issues. We identify several anticipated climate change outcomes, such as an increase in extreme weather events, human migration, disasters, and an increase in human inequity, and connect these outcomes to identified or hypothesized impacts on companion animals and the human–animal bond. We suggest opportunities to reduce climate change impacts on companion animals that include alterations to owner caretaking behaviors and breeding practices, and education of owners and governments on zoonosis and disaster preparedness. Furthermore, building climate resilience through decreasing inequity in companion animal fields is paramount; and we propose that a starting place can be in animal sheltering and other support services. We also summarize how companion animals and owners’ caretaking behaviors are impacting climate change through the use of finite natural resources as well as pollution and carbon emissions. We propose that replacement, reduction, and refinement, that guide laboratory animal research, can also be useful to mitigate the effects of companion animals on the environment. We suggest criteria for successful mitigation and adaptation plans to include equitability, sustainability, respect for animals, and measurability. Finally, we end on a call to all companion animal professionals to actively consider their role in mitigating the impact of companion animals on the climate and preparing for the fallout of climate change in their communities.

Exploring the Relationship Between Human Social Deprivation and Animal Surrender to Shelters in British Columbia, Canada

Previous studies identify owner-related issues, such as cost and housing, as common reasons for relinquishment of companion animals to animal shelters. It is likely that the burden of surrendering for owner-related reasons falls on those who are socially vulnerable (e.g., low income, unemployed); however, very few studies have assessed social determinants as a predictor of animal relinquishment. The present study used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which uses four factors of social vulnerability (Ethnocultural Composition, Economic Dependency, Residential Instability, and Situational Vulnerability) to predict risk of surrender for various reasons, of various species and breeds, and of various health statuses across British Columbia, Canada (n = 29,236). We found that CIMD factors predicted increased risk of surrender across many shelter variables. For further understanding of differences between areas in the province, the present study also analyzed the relationship between CIMD factors and animal surrender variables in two areas of interest: Metro Vancouver (n = 3,445) and Kamloops (n = 2,665), and plotted these relationships on a geospatial scale. We found that there were some similarities across areas, such as Situational Vulnerability predicting increased odds of surrendering pit bull-labeled dogs vs. all other dog breeds. There were also differences in predictors of animal surrender variables, suggesting that provision of animal services, such as veterinary care, for vulnerable groups may be specific to location. For example, whereas Ethnocultural Composition predicted increased risk of owner surrender for multiple owner-related reasons in Metro Vancouver, these same reasons for surrender were predicted by Residential Instability in Kamloops, indicating demographic differences that affect animal shelter service use. The results of this research validate the use of geospatial analysis to understand relationships between human vulnerability and animal welfare, but also highlight the need for further interventions in marginalized populations to increase retention of animals.

Amelioration of Pet Overpopulation and Abandonment Using Control of Breeding and Sale, and Compulsory Owner Liability Insurance

Simple Summary

Overpopulation and abandonment of pets are long-standing and burgeoning concerns that involve uncontrolled breeding and selling, illegal trafficking, overpopulation, and pet-safety and well-being issues. Historical and current prevention measures for avoiding these problems, such as sanctions, taxes, or responsibility education, have failed to provide significant moderation or resolution. Globally, millions of pets are commercially and privately bred and abandoned annually, damaging biodiversity and ecosystems, and presenting road safety and public health risks, in addition to becoming victims of hardship, abuse, and illegal trafficking, especially in the case of exotic species. This article proposes a novel comprehensive management system for amelioration of overpopulation and abandonment of pets by using greater control of supply and demand of the pet market, highlighting the role of the compulsory owner liability insurance to prevent pet abandonment and all its associated costs. This system aims to act preventatively, through flexible protocols within the proposed management system to be applied to any pet and any country.

Abstract

Overpopulation and abandonment of pets are long-standing and burgeoning concerns that involve uncontrolled breeding and selling, illegal trafficking, overpopulation, and pet safety and well-being issues. Abandonment of pets creates numerous negative externalities and multimillion-dollar costs, in addition to severe consequences and problems concerning animal welfare (e.g., starvation, untreated disease, climatic extremes, uncertainty of rescue and adoption), ecological (e.g., invasive species and introduction of novel pathogens), public health and safety (e.g., risks to people from bites, zoonoses, or road hazards), and economic (e.g., financial burdens for governmental and nongovernmental organizations). These interwoven problems persist for several reasons, including the following: (1) lack of an efficient system for the prevention of abandonment and overpopulation, (2) lack of regulatory liability for pet owners, (3) lack of legal alternative to abandonment. This article proposes a novel comprehensive management system for amelioration of overpopulation and abandonment of pets aimed to tackle the current supply and demand dysfunction of the pet market and provide a legal alternative to abandonment.

How pets factor into healthcare decisions for COVID-19: A One Health perspective

There is evidence that prioritizing pets' welfare can impact the health and well-being of their owners, especially when pet owners have a strong bond with their pet. This carries public health implications, particularly in a global public health emergency such as COVID-19. The study objective was to understand pet owners' consideration of their pets' welfare when making personal healthcare decisions specific to COVID-19. A large sample (n = 1356) of adult pet owners in the U.S. completed an online survey in April and May of 2020, coinciding with the onset of social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Respondents were asked if they would delay or avoid testing or treatment for COVID-19 due to concern for their pets' welfare, and a follow-up question asked them to elaborate. Multinomial logistic regression models showed that attachment to pets and socioeconomic resources were important factors in pet owners' hypothetical decisions regarding testing and treatment for COVID-19. Qualitative analysis of responses to the follow-up question revealed explanations across three themes: (1) the need to find pet accommodation prior to seeking healthcare; (2) pet-related concerns; and, (3) human-related concerns. Pet owners often cited concern for their pets' welfare as a factor contributing to their decision making; participants' lack of a concrete plan for pet care was most commonly cited as the reason for their delay in seeking healthcare. Results from this study indicate that pet owners experience unique obstacles to accessing healthcare related to COVID-19, which has implications for future public health emergencies. Increased disease spread and prevalence of poor health outcomes could result if pet owners delay or avoid testing or treatment. Communities can benefit from a One Health/One Welfare approach to collaboration between human and animal health and service providers to reduce COVID-19 spread and secure the well-being of people and their pets.

Animal cruelty as an indicator of family trauma: Using adverse childhood experiences to look beyond child abuse and domestic violence

Youth who engage in animal cruelty are known to be at increased risk of perpetrating violence on other people in their lives including peers, loved ones, and elder family members. These youths have often been exposed to family violence, including animal cruelty perpetrated on their beloved pets by violent adults. The current study utilizes a data set of 81,000 juvenile offenders whose adverse childhood experiences are known and includes 466 youth who self-report engaging in animal cruelty. Compared to the larger group of juvenile offenders, the children admitting to engaging in animal cruelty are younger at time of first arrest, more likely to be male, and more likely to be White. When looking at their reports of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), they are more likely than other juvenile offenders to have an array of adverse experiences beyond family violence and to have four or more ACEs. Although the youth who are cruel to animals are already troubled, the fact that they present to law enforcement at early ages provides early opportunities for intervention. Service providers outside the law enforcement field, such as teachers, physicians, veterinarians and animal control officers may be able to identify these vulnerable youth, and refer them to needed services before violence is visited on other humans.