Data and facts about how shelters can minimize euthanasia by tackling the root causes and making meaningful changes.
Jump to: Overview | Open-Admission, High-Intake Shelters | High-Risk Groups
Highlights
- Open-admission, high-intake shelters can achieve a live release rate of nearly 90% by effectively utilizing foster homes and partnering with rescue organizations.
- Older dogs and cats are particularly vulnerable to euthanasia, especially those with terminal conditions. Preventive healthcare measures can significantly improve their outcomes.
Overview
Open-Admission, High-Intake Shelters
Jump to: PACC Case Study (Arizona, US)
Pima Animal Care Center (Arizona, US)
External link: Patronek GJ, Crowe A. Factors Associated with High Live Release for Dogs at a Large, Open-Admission, Municipal Shelter. Animals. 2018; 8(4):45. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8040045
Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) Background
- Annual Intake: Approximately 19,000 pets
- Dog Intake: Approximately 13,000 dogs (two-thirds of total intake)
- Stray Dogs: Approximately 8,000 dogs (60% of dog intake)
- Per Capita Intake:
- 12.5 dogs per 1,000 people
- 6.3 cats per 1,000 people
- Poverty Rate of Area Served: 18.2%
- Funding: Over $9 million annual budget
- Staff: Approximately 95 staff members
- 60 Animal care, medical, and support staff
- 25 Animal control officers/humane law enforcement
- 10 Executive/management
- Volunteers and Partners:
- 1,500 volunteers and foster caregivers
- Over 100 rescue partners
Live Release and Length of Stay
| Outcome | Number of Intakes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption | 12,651 | 59.1 |
| Return to owner | 2721 | 12.7 |
| Sent to foster care | 704 | 3.3 |
| Transferred to rescue/shelter partner | 2882 | 13.5 |
| Total live outcomes | 18,958 | 88.6 |
| Euthanized | 2275 | 10.6 |
| Died in shelter or foster care | 176 | 0.8 |
| Total dead | 2451 | 11.4 |
- Length of Stay:
- Mean: 10 days
- Median: 6 days
- Range: 0-371 days
Key Factors Influencing Live Release
Animal Characteristics
- Age:
- Puppies: 92.2% live release rate
- Juveniles: 91.8% live release rate
- Young Adults: 90.1% live release rate
- Adults: 89.2% live release rate
- Older Adults: 84.7% live release rate
- Unknown Age: 76.4% live release rate
- Sex:
- Female: 90.5% live release rate
- Male: 87.4% live release rate
- Size:
- Small: 93.9% live release rate
- Medium: 83.5% live release rate
- Large: 89.1% live release rate
- Giant: 85.3% live release rate
- Breed:
- Single Breed: 87.6% live release rate
- Multiple Breeds: 89.1% live release rate
- Blockhead-Type:
- Blockhead: 80.5% live release rate
- Non-Blockhead: 91.7% live release rate
Intake Type and Return
- Owner-Surrendered: 88.6% live release rate
- Stray: 87.4% live release rate
- Foster Returns: 98.1% live release rate
- Adoption Returns: 96.9% live release rate
- Dogs placed in foster care were 5 times more likely to be released.
Health and Behavior Concerns
- No Concerns: 92.7% live release rate
- Minor Concerns: 83.7% live release rate
- Major Concerns: 57.8% live release rate
- Dogs with Major Health Concerns: 80.4% of all dogs with major concerns
- Dogs with Major Behavioral Concerns: 1.5% of all dogs admitted for placement
- Dogs with Manageable Behavioral Concerns: 2.2% of all dogs admitted for placement
Impact of Combined Factors on Live Release
- Ideal Profile for Live Release, Near-certainty of live release:
- Small, female dog
- Non-blockhead appearance
- No medical or behavioral concerns
- Single breed designation
- Stray puppies with minor behavioral or medical concerns had a slightly lower chance of live release, experiencing a 10% decrease in their odds.
- Larger adult dogs, with over 1 breed listed, or male dogs were slightly less likely candidates for live release, with a 3-10% decrease in their chances depending on age.
- Blockhead-type, adult dogs were less likely to be released, with only a 75% chance of being released.
- Adding major health or behavioral concerns significantly reduced the chances of live release, especially for adult dogs, who had a 50% chance of being released.
Additional Insights
- Reclassification of Euthanasia Cases:
- 29.6% of dogs initially brought in for euthanasia were reclassified to owner surrender.
- 71.4% of reclassified dogs were successfully rehomed.
- Impact of Foster Care on Behavioral Concerns:
- Dogs entering foster care often presented with more behavioral and health concerns.
- 20.3% major concerns
- 28.4% minor concerns
- 51.3% no concerns
- After returning from foster care, many of these concerns were resolved, leading to higher live release rates.
- 5.5% major concerns in the same dogs (vs. 4.3% in single-intake dogs)
- 9.1% minor concerns (vs. 10% in single-intake dogs)
- 85.1% no concerns (vs. 85.7% in single-intake dogs)
- Dogs entering foster care often presented with more behavioral and health concerns.
- Impact of Rescue Partners:
- Total Dogs Transferred: 2,882
- Average Stay Before Transfer: 8.2 days
- Total Animal Care Days Before Transfer: 23,552 days
- Estimated Animal Care Days Without Transfer: 36,601 days
- Total Animal Care Days Saved: 13,409 days
Research Summary | Back to Top
High-Risk Groups
Jump to: Phenotypes Shape Outcome | Senior Cats & Dogs
How Dog Phenotypes Shape Outcomes
External link:
Cain CJ, Woodruff KA, Smith DR. Factors Associated with Shelter Dog Euthanasia versus Live Release by Adoption or Transfer in the United States. Animals. 2021; 11(4):927. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11040927
Overall Outcome
- Of the dogs with the potential to be adopted or transferred, the probability of a dog to be euthanized was 14%.
- The median length of stay for euthanized dogs was 6 days with a mean of 9 days.
Likelihood of Euthanasia
| Phenotype | Hazard Ratio (Likelihood fo Euthanasia) |
|---|---|
| Puppies vs. adults | 0.418 |
| Puppies vs. seniors | 0.164 |
| Adults vs. seniors | 0.392 |
| Brachycephalic vs. mesocephalic | 1.877 |
| Brachycephalic vs. dolichocephalic | 2.207 |
| Mesocephalic vs. dolichocephalic | 1.176 |
| North, small vs. medium | 0.567 |
| North, small vs. large | 0.271 |
| North, medium vs. large | 0.478 |
| West, small vs. medium | 0.683 |
| West, small vs. large | 0.511 |
| West, medium vs. large | 0.748 |
| South, small vs. medium | 0.295 |
| South, small vs. large | 0.230 |
| South, medium vs. large | 0.780 |
Research Summary | Back to Top
Factors Informing Outcome for Senior Cats and Dogs
External link:
Hawes S, Kerrigan J, Morris K. Factors Informing Outcomes for Older Cats and Dogs in Animal Shelters. Animals. 2018; 8(3):36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8030036
Length of Stay
- Average Time in Custody:
- Senior Dogs: 68 days
- Non-Senior Dogs: 57 days
- Time Spent at APA for Senior Dogs:
- Average On-Site Time: 18 days (Range: 0-208 days)
- Average Foster Time: 71 days (Range: 0-345 days)
Treatment
- 87.7% of senior dogs received treatment during their stay at Austin Pets Alive! (APA).
- Assessed condition at intake and eventual outcome for senior dogs:
| Condition / Outcome | Total | Euthanasia | Adoption | Died | Still in Care | Stolen/Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal | 14 (11%) | 14 (11%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Healthy | 9 (7%) | 1 (0.1%) | 5 (4.1%) | 1 (0.1%) | 2 (1.6%) | 0 (0%) |
| Poor body condition | 29 (24%) | 0 (0%) | 17 (14%) | 0 (0%) | 12 (9.8%) | 0 (0%) |
| Further medical attention | 70 (57%) | 3 (2.5%) | 28 (23%) | 7 (5.7%) | 32 (26.2%) | 0 (0%) |
Outcome For Senior Dogs
- Terminal Condition: 100% likely to be euthanized, regardless of the reason for intake.
- Poor Body Condition: 100% likely to be adopted, regardless of the reason for surrender.
- Further Medical Attention Needed:
- 73.8% likely to be adopted.
- 18.5% likely to die in the care of APA.
- Healthy:
- 71.5% likely to be adopted.
- 14.3% likely to die in the care of APA.