New report supplies knowledge on boundaries to adoption together with pet care prices, entry to veterinary care and housing restrictions; gives hopeful insights and commentary on pathways to addressing the over-capacity disaster in shelters
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hill’s Pet Vitamin, a number one accomplice in animal welfare, right now launched new findings from the 2024 Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report. The analysis, which supplies insights from a socio-economically numerous group of two,500 present and potential pet house owners, supplies a deeper understanding of shopper perceptions and behaviors driving the rise in animal intakes in animal shelters and reduce in adoption charges.
2024 Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report Cowl
For the fourth yr in a row, animal shelters throughout the nation are going through an over-capacity disaster. In keeping with Shelter Animals Depend, 6.5 million cats and canines entered shelters and rescues in 2023 alone, and populations elevated by 900,000 animals since January 2021. New knowledge from Shelter Animals Depend signifies that animals of all sizes are experiencing an elevated size of keep in comparison with 2019, fueling the shelter capability disaster.
Extra photographs and B-roll will be downloaded right here.
“Collaboration and a community-centric strategy are essential to discovering impactful methods to handle pet homelessness and over-capacity points in animal shelters,” mentioned Dr. Karen Shenoy, US Chief Veterinary Officer at Hill’s Pet Vitamin. “Exterior of our greater than 22 yr historical past of offering dietary assist to greater than 1,000 animal shelters, we’re additionally dedicated to offering assist past vitamin to provide our shelter companions and the broader animal welfare neighborhood knowledge and insights to assist us work collectively to create a happier and more healthy world for pets and the individuals who look after them.”
A technique we do that’s by supplying shelters with high quality vitamin to assist shelter pets be wholesome, blissful and extra adoptable. Since 2002, the Hill’s Meals, Shelter & Love program has offered greater than $300 million value of canine and cat vitamin to greater than 1,000 animal shelters.”
The report additionally options insights from animal welfare leaders and highlights progressive shelter packages to offer potential pathways and options to eradicating boundaries, minimizing proprietor surrenders and supporting extra adoptions.
“The 2024 Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report offers the animal welfare neighborhood difference-making knowledge,” mentioned Jim Tedford, President and CEO at The Affiliation for Animal Welfare Development. “It permits animal shelters to raised perceive what pet mother and father must make adoption extra accessible to allow them to equip pet mother and father with the data and assets wanted to welcome a shelter pet into their dwelling.”
Key FindingsThe following key findings from the 2024 Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report will assist shelters in creating extra data-driven methods for eradicating boundaries to pet adoption and care.
America Nonetheless Loves an Underdog (and Cat)General, People are open to adopting shelter pets, and youthful generations are much more more likely to undertake:
66% of persons are more likely to undertake shelter pets
Of Gen Z and Millennials who’ve adopted a shelter pet earlier than, 90% and 94% respectively are more likely to undertake once more; and for many who’ve by no means adopted a shelter pet, 75% and 77% respectively are more likely to undertake
Value of Pet Possession Continues to Be High Barrier to Adoption Respondents’ prime issues about proudly owning a pet relate principally to the funds concerned in caring for a pet:
Almost 50% of respondents mentioned general price of pet possession was the largest problem to pet possession
84% of respondents mentioned veterinary care is the most costly a part of proudly owning a pet
Earnings Ranges and Pet-Inclusive Housing Are Defining Components in Pet Possession AccessibilityPet adoption is much less accessible for individuals making lower than $75,000:
These making lower than $75,000 usually tend to give up a pet resulting from monetary difficulties and usually tend to say the price of pet possession exceeded their expectations
These making lower than $50,000 usually tend to have skilled at the least one pet-related housing restriction and usually tend to say the price of veterinary care impacts their resolution to undertake
Massive Canine Nonetheless Lag in Adoptions However Gen Z Is KeyRespondents report being much less more likely to undertake giant canines than cats or small- to medium-sized canines, that are believed to be simpler and cheaper to handle:
Fewer than one in 4 respondents report being more likely to undertake a big canine:
46% are more likely to undertake a small canine
45% are more likely to undertake a medium canine
39% are more likely to undertake a cat
24% are more likely to undertake a big canine
With 37% of 18- to 24-year-olds saying they’re open to adopting a big canine, Gen Z is statistically extra more likely to undertake a big canine than every other age group
Misconceptions Round Fostering Resulting in Decrease Participation RatesWhile survey respondents view fostering favorably, misperceptions in regards to the prices and a worry of adopting the fostered pet could also be limiting broader participation:
40% of potential fosters are afraid of adopting their foster pet (There isn’t any expectation for fosterers to undertake)
64% of potential fosters say that if pet care prices had been lined through the expertise, they’d be more likely to foster (Fostering often requires minimal monetary funding, with many shelters offering the fosterer with all essential provides, together with pet meals)
Put up-Adoption Assist is Key to Decreasing Returns and RelinquishmentsOffering pet mother and father post-adoption assist, particularly conduct companies, is a robust software to protecting extra pets with their households:
Respondents rated post-adoption behavioral companies extra more likely to positively affect adoption (34%) than pre-adoption behavioral companies (30%)
Of respondents who skilled post-adoption nervousness, 46% mentioned behavioral points had been the highest driving drive
Of people who had relinquished a pet, 24% mentioned behavioral/coaching points had been the highest motive for surrendering
94% of pet house owners contemplating relinquishment stored their pet after receiving assist
“Animal sheltering organizations throughout the nation at the moment are grappling with a ‘new regular’ the place canines at the moment are ready almost twice as lengthy to get adopted than they had been previous to the pandemic,” mentioned Stephanie Filer, Govt Director at Shelter Animals Depend. “The Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report supplies invaluable insights into why the capability disaster is happening in order that sheltering organizations, and their communities alike, can really do one thing about it.”
The report is a part of Hill’s Pet Vitamin ongoing dedication to animal welfare which features a wealthy historical past of greater than 20 years of labor and programming that has helped assist greater than 14 million adoptions, offered greater than $300 million {dollars} in pet vitamin to feed shelter pets at greater than 1,000 shelters throughout the nation and has offered thousands and thousands of {dollars} to gasoline native meals pantries for communities in want.
For extra details about the 2024 Hill’s Pet Vitamin State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, go to www.hillspet.com/shelter.
About Hill’s Pet Vitamin Based greater than 75 years in the past, Hill’s Pet Vitamin has been dedicated to offering pets with the very best vitamin by intensive analysis and a scientific understanding of their particular wants. Their group of 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists, and meals scientists always try to develop progressive options for pet well being. Hill’s gives a full line of merchandise, together with their Prescription Food regimen therapeutic vitamin and Science Food regimen wellness merchandise, which can be found at veterinary clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For extra details about their merchandise and dietary philosophy, please go to HillsPet.com.
Media Contact:Emma Honn, (electronic mail protected)
SOURCE Hill’s Pet Vitamin
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