Pet Overpopulation

Coming Soon: Year Five of HRC's Animal Tracker

HRC Admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:45:00 -0800

We’re getting ready to launch year five of HRC’s Animal Tracker annual survey of the public opinions and behavior of adults in the U.S. This year’s survey, which will field in March, addresses opinions toward various social movements, who people trust to provide information about animal welfare, opinions about the adequacy of animal protection laws, attitudes toward the importance of animal welfare in various situations, and the frequency with which people discuss animal protection issues. We asked the exact same questions in 2008 and 2009 and will be able to analyze changes over time. When the results are available in April, we’ll also refresh the Animal Tracker graphing tool so that the results will be easy to access and interpret.

Poll: Euthanasia to Control Shelter Population Unpopular

Carol L. Glasser — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:45:00 -0800

This poll examined attitudes toward killing companion animals in shelters in order to control pet overpopulation. Seven out of 10 respondents did not support killing animals unless they are "unadoptable" due to illness or aggressiveness.

12.3 Million Pets Remain Uninsured

Carol L. Glasser — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:45:00 -0800

This poll by a U.K. animal insurance company addresses the number of people with health insurance for their animal companions and what influences decisions to insure companion animals. The poll finds that over half (56%) of respondents do not have insurance for their companion animals.

Stray Cats in Auckland, New Zealand: Discovering Geographic Information for Exploratory Spatial Analysis

Carol L. Glasser — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:45:00 -0800

Researchers combined geographic information systems (GIS) technology and methods with data from local shelters about stray cat pick-ups to determine where large populations of stray cats live in Auckland, New Zealand. The areas with the highest density of stray cats were in Southern Auckland.

Adopting More Black Dogs and Cats: How the Meet Your Match Program Can Combat Big Black Dog Syndrome

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:45:00 -0800

In this final installment of the Big Black Dog Syndrome blog series, the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program will be discussed as it relates to helping re-home black dogs and cats.The biggest problem thwarting black dog and cat adoptions is a lack of interest in their website photograph (potential adopters are not drawn to the animal), and that potential adopters walk right by black animals in the kennel because they blend into the background. The use of the Meet Your Match program to guide potential adopters toward an animal that suits their lifestyle and personality, also has the ability to get potential adopters to stop and meet the black dogs and cats available for adoption - thereby increasing the chances that those black dogs and cats will be adopted.

HRC Happenings: Guest Bloggers and Grassroots Research

Che Green — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:45:00 -0800

Do you know a small organization doing great work for animals? If so, please make sure they hear about HRC's Grassroots Research Fund, the deadline for which is now just one month away (January 1st). The group(s) we select will receive pro bono research projects of up to $5,000 to help them evaluate and improve their work and help more animals. Also, any donations to HRC during the month of December will be earmarked for the Grassroots Research Fund so that we can help even more small groups in 2012. And be sure to check out our two guest blogs from the past month covering the topics of Big Black Dog syndrome and vegetarian/vegan recidivism. Thank you for reading!

A Survey of the Methods Used in Shelter and Rescue Programs to Identify Feral and Frightened Pet Cats

Carol L. Glasser — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:45:00 -0800

Animal shelters often have different policies for feral cats and cats who are socialized. Researchers sought to determine how animal shelters decide whether cats are feral, socialized cats who are frightened, or semi-feral cats that had once lived with people and could do so again, but who had been living outside for a time. Most respondents were from the US, though there were also respondents from Canada, the UK, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In total, only 15% of these shelters had any written guidelines to follow.

Tales of Happy Reunions Boost Interest in Pet Microchipping

Carol L. Glasser — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:45:00 -0800

A 185% increase in microchipping of companion animals in the U.S. was reported in the weeks following the reunion of Willow, a cat lost in New York City, with her family in Colorado. The reunion was made possible by her being microchipped. Overall, microchipping is on the rise and better technology is being developed to help reunite lost companion animals and their humans.

Why Color Matters: How Color Symbolism and Social Memory Impact Big Black Dog Syndrome

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:45:00 -0800

In my last article about Big Black Dog Syndrome, I detailed tactics for re-homing black dogs and cats during Halloween. The color-based discrimination that black dogs and cats face is so deeply engrained within US culture that it is acted upon unconsciously, and is an unalterable aspect of our culture. However, through education, potential adopters can be made aware of their unintentional biases, increasing the chances that potential adopters will adopt a black dog or cat. Because education is the key to thwarting the negative effects of Big Black Dog (BBD) Syndrome, this article will explore how even from early childhood, concepts of color – in this case, the color black – are engrained within our social memory.

Stray Dog Survey 2011

Carol L. Glasser — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:45:00 -0700

This survey of dog wardens and others who manage stray dogs in the United Kingdom (UK) addresses both the number of stray dogs and what happens to them. This study finds that the number of stray dogs in the UK is at its peak and that up to 6% of all stray dogs, or about 20 dogs per day, are killed in UK shelters.