An issue with the research Note that the researchers were relying on retrospective data . As they point out , this means they could not tease out questions such as whether a dog returned for being “ too active ” was simply too active for that household , or actually had issues managing arousal levels . Prospective research will be needed to tease out some of the remaining questions .
Here are the overall conclusions The bottom line is that in the records reviewed by the authors , dogs between 6 months and 8 years of age were the most likely to be returned , and the reason was often animal-related – generally some kind of behavior issue . Dogs between 2 and 8 years of age had the highest rate of post-return euthanasia ( almost four times as high as that of puppies under 6 months of age ). Toy and terrier dogs stayed in their homes more often than pit bull type dogs , and the same pit bulls type dogs were more likely to be returned to the shelter multiple times — and ultimately euthanized .
So what can we do to help ? This research suggests that behavior issues and incompatibility with other pets are among the leading reasons for dogs to be returned ( at least according to owner report ). Other research suggests that adopters often fail to take advantage of behavior services offered by animal welfare centers . As you may recall , we alluded earlier to a study on clients who took their dogs to a veterinary behavior clinic . In that paper , the authors found that structured follow-up at set intervals ( 10 , 30 , and 60 days ) led to greater satisfaction than unstructured follow-up ( in which clients were encouraged to reach out whenever they needed help ). Obviously , private clients are different than adopters , but until we have more data , it ’ s not a bad idea to structure follow-up more when dealing with adopters . What we truly need is more research , but in the meantime , we can piece together some suggestions based on what we know so far . Here are some concrete steps to take :
Shelters and rescues :
• Offer adoption counseling that focuses on just a couple of critical points for keeping the dog in the home . Adopters aren ’ t likely to retain more information than that anyway . Powell et al ., 2021 also suggests that information on introducing new pets could be very important .
• Develop a follow-up plan that involves reaching out to new adopters at scheduled time intervals after adoption . This could be as simple as a series of scheduled e-mails checking in on the animals with an inbox monitored by volunteers .
• Run A-B tests and track data . Don ’ t currently have a follow up plan in place ? Don ’ t have enough staff / volunteers to follow up on every animal that ’ s adopted ? Follow up on a subset of the population and track the results over time . Are the animals with formal follow-up less likely to be returned ? This is not scientific data , but it ’ s better than no data and can stand in until we have more research on best practices for successful long-term placement .
Photo : Adobe Stock The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2022 47