An Estimate of the Number of Dogs in US Shelters in 2015 and the Factors Affecting Their Fate.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey and mark-recapture estimation based on a convenience sample of shelters
PubMed 31488001 · doi:10.1080/10888705.2019.1663735
What was done
An initial list of 10,890 animal shelters and rescues in the United States was refined to 2,862 organizations. A telephone survey was conducted, and a mark-recapture method was applied to model total shelter and canine populations. Out of the contacted organizations, 413 completed the interview.
What was found
The authors estimated there were 7,076 (95% CI 6,399–7,890) dog shelters in the United States. In 2015, an estimated 5,532,904 (95% CI 5,003,528–6,169,579) dogs entered shelters. Outcomes included 2,628,112 dogs (48%, 95% CI 2,376,660–2,930,531) adopted; 969,443 dogs (18%, 95% CI 876,689–1,080,998) returned to owners; 778,385 dogs (14%, 95% CI 703,911–867,955) transferred; 776,970 dogs (14%, 95% CI 702,631–866,377) euthanized; and 6% lost to follow-up. Intake volume, funding source, geographic region, and dog intake source were reported to explain outcomes.
Why it matters
This study provides national benchmark estimates for dog intake and outcomes across US shelters, quantifying the rates of adoption, owner return, and euthanasia for 2015.
Limits
The telephone survey had a very low completion rate of 14% (413 of 2,862 organizations), introducing high risk of nonresponse bias. Data rely on self-reporting by shelter staff, and specific statistical effect sizes for shelter-level predictors were not reported in the abstract.