Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This study examined the reasons cats and dogs are returned following adoption at one shelter in Austin, TX, USA. The study found that dogs were most likely to be returned for behavioral issues while cats were most likely to be returned for personal reasons. The length of ownership before the pet was returned to the shelter varied substantially. These data can be used in future discussions of how to develop pet retention programs that address the factors informing returned adoptions. ABSTRACT: Although the adoption rate of dogs and cats from animal shelters has increased, a proportion of animals are returned to the shelter after they are adopted. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors informing the return of 102 dogs to an animal shelter over a four-month period, and the return of 72 cats to an animal shelter over a three-month period. Descriptive statistics revealed dogs are most commonly returned for behavior issues related to aggression (38.2%), and cats are most commonly returned due to the adopter’s personal reasons (56.9%). The results also indicated that more than half of the dogs (51.0%) and cats (57.0%) returned in this study were owned for more than 60 days. Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of different pet retention programs in addressing the factors that inform returned adoptions.