Three Things to Know
Unlike dogs, cats in Denmark are not subject to strict ownership regulations. Researchers analyzed Danish animal shelter data from 2004 to 2017, a period marked by increased efforts to rescue and rehome cats, including expanded shelter capacity and a national hotline for reporting strays.
Despite a significant increase in cat adoptions, the influx of stray cats overwhelmed the Danish shelter system. Euthanasia rates for cats doubled, rising from 15% to 29%, indicating a mismatch between supply and demand. Researchers attribute this surge to the low cost of abandoning and reporting stray cats.
From an economic perspective, researchers suggested that lowering adoption fees could increase demand for shelter cats. However, they emphasized the need for complementary policies, such as mandatory sterilization and microchipping, to address the root causes of overpopulation.
The Full Picture
Unwanted and stray dogs and cats are a global problem. Traditionally, euthanasia was the primary solution. However, Western countries have shifted towards adoption, microchipping, and neutering programs to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates. While these efforts are promising, concerns persist about the ability of shelters to address the root causes of animal homelessness.
Denmark offers a unique perspective on the stark differences in managing dogs and cats. Approximately 20% of Danish households own a pet. Strict regulations govern dog ownership, including mandatory registration and confinement. Stray dogs are promptly picked up by authorities, and unclaimed animals are either euthanized or placed in shelters. This system has effectively eliminated street dogs.
Cats, on the other hand, are not subject to the same oversight. Most are allowed to roam freely, and stray cats are managed by NGOs through programs like trap-neuter-return or euthanasia for unsocialized cats. Socialized stray cats, often abandoned or dropped off at shelters, pose a different challenge.
A study, titled “Shelters Reflect but Cannot Solve Underlying Problems with Relinquished and Stray Animals—A Retrospective Study of Dogs and Cats Entering and Leaving Shelters in Denmark from 2004 to 2017”, delves deeper into this issue. The study analyzed 13 years of data on shelter intake, returns, adoptions, and euthanasia to understand trends and challenges in the Danish shelter system.
Study Methods
The study focused on Danish animal shelters that housed more than four adult dogs, given the mandatory registration requirement in Denmark.
Participating shelters provided annual data on the intake and outcomes of dogs and socialized, potentially adoptable cats. Intake categories included:
- Owner relinquishments: Animals adopted and later returned.
- Strays: Socialized cats and dogs without known owners.
- Rescues: Animals from neglect cases.
- Other sources: Transfers or animals abandoned at shelters.
Outcome categories included:
- Rehomed animals: Adopted pets.
- Returned to owners: Lost pets found and returned.
- Euthanized animals: Animals humanely euthanized.
- Deceased animals: Animals that died of natural causes or illness.
- Other cases: Transfers, losses, or thefts.
It’s important to note that Danish shelters do not euthanize animals on request.
Live release rates (LRR) were calculated as the proportion of animals leaving shelters alive (adoptions, returns to owners, other live outcomes) divided by the total number of outcomes (both live and dead).
The study analyzed trends in total intake, LRR, and the proportions of each intake and outcome category over time.
Study Results
The study analyzed data from 37 of Denmark’s 52 animal shelters, representing 71% of the total. Nineteen shelters exclusively housed cats, one housed only dogs, and the rest cared for both species. The data included approximately 89% of cats and 94% of dogs in 2017.
From 2004 to 2017, annual dog intake decreased from 2,000 to 1,550, while cat intake surged from 3,100 to over 11,000. Live release rates declined for both species: dogs from 94% to 90% and cats from 85% to 71%.
Dogs
The majority of dogs entering Danish shelters were owner-relinquished (2017: 53%), followed by strays (2017: 24%) and dogs obtained from neglect (2017: 23%). Over time, the number of owner-relinquished dogs decreased significantly (-41%), while the number of stray dogs increased (+152%). The overall dog intake decreased, with a corresponding decline in owner-relinquished dogs.
Rehoming has been successful, with a high percentage of dogs finding new homes (2004: 83%; 2017: 77%). This suggests a strong demand for adoptable dogs in Denmark. However, the decline in both intake and live release rates indicates a shift in the characteristics of shelter dogs. The rise of social media may have led to more independent rehoming and even dog sales. As a result, dogs entering shelters were more likely to have health or behavioral issues, making them harder to rehome and more prone to euthanasia. Nonetheless, the absolute number of euthanized dogs remained low at 10%, highlighting the overall success of Danish shelters in rehoming adoptable animals.
Cats
In stark contrast to the decline in dog intake, cat intake surged by a staggering 250%, from 3,000 to 11,000 annually. This dramatic increase was primarily driven by a significant rise in stray cat intake. While initially, owner-relinquished and stray cats were equally represented, the trend shifted dramatically, with stray cats constituting 80% of intakes by the end of the study period. This surge in stray cat intake didn’t necessarily reflect a growth in the overall stray cat population, as evidenced by a 33% decline in vehicle-related cat deaths despite increased road traffic. Instead, it likely reflects societal changes and shifts in shelter operations.
During the study period, there were increased efforts by NGOs to rescue and rehome cats, greater collaboration among shelters, expanded shelter capacity, and the introduction of a national hotline for reporting stray cats. These factors made shelters a more accessible and appealing option for dealing with stray or unwanted cats.
However, while efforts to promote cat adoptions were successful, the supply of adoptable cats outpaced demand. Despite a significant increase in rehomed cats (from 2,309 to 7,772), the proportion of euthanized cats nearly doubled from 15% to 29%.
An Economic Market Perspective
Examining Danish animal shelters through an economic lens reveals distinct market dynamics for dogs and cats. While the dog market operates relatively efficiently, the cat market faces significant challenges due to oversupply and competition from private sources.
Market Dynamics for Dogs and Cats
Input Market: The intake of animals into shelters can be seen as the supply side of the input market. For dogs, the supply is relatively low due to the inconvenience and emotional cost of relinquishment, as well as the increasing popularity of alternative rehoming methods.
In contrast, surrendering cats to a shelter is easy, compared to other options of dealing with stray cats, which included asking a vet to put the cat down (€110) or killing it with a hunting license. This has led to a significant oversupply.
Output Market: The adoption of animals represents the demand side of the output market. There exists high demand for shelter dogs, as adoption fees (€400 or less) are relatively affordable compared to purchases (€700 to €2000). This allows shelters to maintain a balanced market.
For cats, however, demand is weaker, even with reasonable adoption fees (€140). This is primarily due to the availability of free cats from private sources, which creates competition that shelters cannot match. This imbalance leads to higher euthanasia rates and inefficiency in the cat shelter market.
Potential Economic Interventions
To address the imbalance in the cat market, several economic interventions could be considered:
- Subsidizing Shelter Cat Adoptions: Lowering adoption fees could stimulate demand, reducing the surplus of shelter cats. However, this might shift demand away from other sources, potentially exacerbating the stray cat problem.
- Taxing Cat Surrenders: Increasing the cost of surrendering cats could reduce intake, alleviating oversupply. However, this could lead to unintended consequences, such as people resorting to inhumane methods of disposal.
Maintaining adoption fees is often seen as a way to ensure responsible pet ownership. However, evidence suggests that lower fees do not necessarily compromise owner commitment. Adjusting fees could be a viable strategy to improve adoption rates without compromising outcomes.
The disparity between the dog and cat markets highlights the need for a nuanced approach. While shelters successfully rehome most dogs, the cat market requires more strategic interventions. Promoting shelter cat adoptions must be balanced with efforts to manage the overall cat population through measures like mandatory neutering and microchipping.
Comparison with Other Countries
The findings from Denmark align with global trends in declining dog intake and increasing cat intake. However, Denmark’s stricter dog ownership regulations and unique challenges in managing a surplus of cats result in higher cat euthanasia rates compared to some other regions. While the U.S. and Australia also grapple with high cat euthanasia rates, European countries like the UK and Sweden have demonstrated more success in managing cat populations through effective spay/neuter programs and better adoption rates. Overall, the global trend of increasing cat intake and higher euthanasia rates for cats underscores the need for effective strategies to address overpopulation and improve cat welfare.
Conclusion
From 2004 to 2017, Danish shelters experienced contrasting trends for dogs and cats. While dog intake remained low and stable, with low euthanasia rates, cat intake surged dramatically, accompanied by a significant increase in euthanasia rates. This disparity highlights the different dynamics of dog and cat ownership and management in Denmark. Stricter regulations and responsible ownership practices for dogs have led to better control of their populations, while cats often face less oversight, resulting in a surplus.
While shelters play a crucial role in caring for unwanted animals, they may not be sufficient to address the complex issue of cat overpopulation. This aligns with global trends, where cats are consistently more challenging to manage than dogs. To effectively address this issue, economic analyses can provide valuable insights to inform policy decisions and improve strategies for cat population control and welfare. By understanding the underlying economic factors, NGOs can develop more effective approaches to balance cat intake and outcomes in shelters, ultimately improving the well-being of these animals.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Shelter Dogs > By Country > Denmark
Year of Publication:
2019
External Link:
Sandøe P, Jensen JBH, Jensen F, Nielsen SS. Shelters Reflect but Cannot Solve Underlying Problems with Relinquished and Stray Animals-A Retrospective Study of Dogs and Cats Entering and Leaving Shelters in Denmark from 2004 to 2017. Animals (Basel). 2019;9(10):765. Published 2019 Oct 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9100765