Center for Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
Center for Shelter Dogs, Center for Animals and Public Policy, and Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2023 Apr-Jun;26(2):117-131. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1869551. Epub 2021 Feb 2.
Animal sheltering organizations in the United States offer programs to support dog ownership, yet little is known about what has been implemented across the U.S. In order to systematically examine factors sheltering organizations believe contribute to canine relinquishment and identify what programs they employ to address relinquishment in their communities, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of U.S. animal sheltering organizations. In total, 111 participants from organizations serving dogs completed the organizational survey. Organizations believed a lack of access to affordable veterinary and behavioral services as well as affordable pet-friendly housing were common reasons for dog relinquishment. Most organizations offered at least one program to address relinquishment such as behavior helplines, pet food banks, and veterinary care. Reasons for discontinuing a program or not being able offer a program that was desired included lack of staff and other resources. Given limited resources, animal welfare organizations should strategically develop programs for their individual communities and actively work to partner with the veterinary and the canine behavior profession to provide necessary medical and behavioral resources.
美国的动物收容组织提供支持犬只拥有的计划，但对于全美实施的情况知之甚少。为了系统地研究收容组织认为导致犬只被放弃的因素，并确定他们在社区中采用哪些计划来解决放弃犬只的问题，我们对美国的动物收容组织进行了一项横断面在线调查。共有 111 名来自服务犬的组织的参与者完成了组织调查。组织认为，无法获得负担得起的兽医和行为服务以及负担得起的宠物友好型住房是犬只被放弃的常见原因。大多数组织提供至少一个项目来解决放弃问题，例如行为热线、宠物食品银行和兽医护理。停止一个项目或无法提供所需项目的原因包括缺乏员工和其他资源。考虑到资源有限，动物福利组织应该为他们各自的社区制定战略性的计划，并积极与兽医和犬类行为专业人士合作，提供必要的医疗和行为资源。
