In previous studies researchers found that taking shelter dogs out of the shelter for a day or keeping them overnight at someone’s home significantly reduced the dog’s stress level. However, a new study conducted by a team at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Live Sciences found that by implementing shorter-term fostering programs made a big difference in adoptions by increasing the number of dogs adopted.

The study analyzed 51 animal shelters in the United States that included 1,955 dogs that received the fostering program as well as 25,946 dogs that were in shelters and were used as a comparison. The study lasted for four years and typically dogs in the program were adopted within ten days after partaking in the fostering program.

“We saw that the majority of people adopting the dogs weren’t the caregivers that were taking the dogs on outings or letting them stay in their homes. These dogs were being seen in the community, meeting new people, and caregivers were sharing their stories. This increased exposure likely helped the dogs find their adopters.”

Sue’s Note: It might help your local shelter if you go to the report, print it and give it to your local shelter. You can organize a group of people to implement the short-term foster program to help the shelter.

Journal Reference:

1. Lisa M. Gunter, Emily M. Blade, Rachel J. Gilchrist, Betsy J. Nixon, Jenifer L. Reed, Joanna M. Platzer, Ingrid C. Wurpts, Erica N. Feuerbacher, Clive D. L. Wynne. The Influence of Brief Outing and Temporary Fostering Programs on Shelter Dog Welfare. Animals, 2023; 13 (22): 3528 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223528

Cite This Page:

Virginia Tech. “Researchers discover way to boost shelter dog adoptions.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 November 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231115133200.htm>.