About 14% of animal shelter intakes were the result of pet owner housing issues, according to research published in Frontiers of Veterinary Medicine.
The study analyzed relinquishment records collected by 21 U.S. shelters from 2019 to 2023. The factors assessed included:
- The proportion of intakes related to housing issues.
- The types of pets relinquished due to housing issues.
- The fate of those pets.
Additional findings included:
- The most common relinquished dogs were large (75 pounds on average) or small (12 pounds on average).
- Pit bull-type dogs accounted for 12% of shelter intakes related to housing restrictions and 27% related to landlord issues.
- Cats accounted for 37% of pets relinquished because of housing issues.
- Of the pets given to shelters because of housing issues, 95% departed alive. The outcomes included adoption (76%), transfer to another shelter (12%), return to the owner (3%), foster placement (3%) and return to the wild (1%).
- Euthanasia was more common for dogs than cats, especially with pit bull-type dogs.
- Pets relinquished because their owner was unhoused were more likely to be euthanized.
“While dog relinquishments have decreased over time, cat relinquishments have increased,” the authors wrote. “Cat owners, in particular, may be subject to unjustifiable pet rents.
“These data also suggest that arbitrary restrictions on the number of animals allowed in rental units likewise warrant further attention from policy advocates and policymakers.”
Dr. Jennifer W. Applebaum, an assistant professor of environmental and global health at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, directed the study.
Additional details are at bit.ly/3yF3SRt.