Why do owners leave pets in shelters?

More than 9,000 dogs and cats are handed to Australian shelters each year because owners are no longer able to keep them in their home, or are no longer capable of caring for them, a new La Trobe University study has found.

The study, “Association of Socioeconomic Status and Reasons for Companion Animal Relinquishment,” published in the journal Animals, looked at the reasons dogs and cats are relinquished to shelters to determine if it was due to issues related to the animal themselves, or challenges in the owner's life.

Researchers analyzed relinquishment data from five Australian shelters in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia between July 2018 and June 2023, involving 46,820 companion animals, looking at the socioeconomic factors involved.

The most common reason for relinquishment was housing insecurity for both low and high socioeconomic groups. Financial constraints were reported more in lower socioeconomic groups, whereas the health care needs of owners was greater in the higher socioeconomic groups.

Study lead, La Trobe University Ph.D. candidate Sonya McDowall from the School of Psychology and Public Health, said it was important to understand the reasons people were unable to care for their pets, to help reduce the financial and ethical problems arising from too many dogs and cats in shelters.

She said the human and animal sectors had historically worked in silos, without truly integrating related public policy or service delivery to achieve positive outcomes for both humans and animals as one.

“These findings highlight the critical role of socioeconomic factors in understanding why people relinquish their companion animals, which can inform targeted interventions to support companion animal welfare across different socioeconomic backgrounds,” McDowall said.

The research paper said that adopting a holistic Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework would inform targeted policies and interventions aimed at supporting and improving both human and companion animal welfare outcomes.

“By addressing the root causes identified in this study, such as housing insecurity and financial constraints, stakeholders can work towards fostering sustainable solutions that promote the long-term well-being of companion animals and their guardians,” the paper says.

“This approach contributes to broader societal benefits by enhancing community health and well-being.”