Empowering Research: How Shelter Animals Count Partners with Students to Drive Change - Shelter Animals Count
04Feb’25
Empowering Research: How Shelter Animals Count Partners with Students to Drive Change
At Shelter Animals Count (SAC), our mission to improve the lives of animals through data extends beyond shelters and rescues—we’re also fostering the next generation of researchers. One of our most rewarding partnerships has been with students, who use SAC’s national dataset to explore trends, ask critical questions, and uncover insights that help the animal welfare community evolve.
Recently, students from Baldwin Wallace University conducted an in-depth analysis of SAC’s dataset, containing animal-level data on 3.1 million animals across 164 private shelter and rescue organizations. Their goal was to identify factors influencing animal outcomes and provide actionable recommendations for shelters and rescues. This project exemplifies how collaboration between SAC and students can lead to discoveries that benefit the entire industry.
Highlights of Student Research
The Baldwin Wallace team’s research offered valuable insights into how factors such as time, organization type, and animal characteristics affect outcomes like adoption, euthanasia, and length of stay. Here are some key findings:
- Seasonal Trends:
- Intakes: Spring and summer months see the highest intakes, averaging 179,513 animals per year, while cooler months experience lower numbers. These trends align with breeding seasons, making it essential for shelters to prepare for increased intakes during warmer months.
- Adoptions: Adoption rates (percentage of adoptions relative to intakes during the same time period) follow a similar seasonal pattern, peaking during the holidays and warmer months. December had the highest adoption-to-intake ratio (1.03), likely driven by holiday adoptions.
- Length of Stay:
- Animals with longer stays face greater challenges in achieving positive outcomes. By week seven, adoption rates peak, underscoring the importance of highlighting long-stay animals for promotion. After Week 7, other outcomes like euthanasia or transfers steadily increase. This research highlighted the need to understand LOS by animal availability as well, since animals too young for adoption outcomes could be skewing this data.
- Breed and Behavior:
- Restricted dog breeds, such as pit bulls and German shepherds, are 13% less likely to be adopted and over twice as likely to be euthanized compared to unrestricted breeds (24.4% euthanasia rate vs. 8.2%).
- Dogs exhibiting agonistic behaviors (e.g., biting or chasing) were over three times more likely to be euthanized than non-agonistic dogs (24.3% vs. 8.2%), highlighting the need for behavior support resources.
- Health at Intake:
- Healthy animals were significantly more likely to be adopted (85.1%) than unhealthy animals (65.8%). Unhealthy animals also faced higher euthanasia rates (23.1% vs. 6.7%).
- Turning Data Into Action
These findings are more than just statistics—they represent actionable opportunities for shelters and rescues:
- Promoting adoptions during high-intake seasons, particularly spring and summer, can help manage capacity and improve outcomes.
- Understanding Length of Stay: Monitoring how long animals are in care and the duration of their availability for adoption is crucial for identifying patterns and optimizing outcomes. The research shows that adoptions peak around Week 7, offering shelters an opportunity to target promotional efforts and resources during key timeframes to improve adoption rates.
- Addressing stigma around restricted breeds and providing support for animals with medical or behavioral challenges can improve outcomes for at-risk groups.
- Recognizing the Next Generation of Leaders
Shelter Animals Count is proud to collaborate with students who share our commitment to animal welfare. Their dedication, creativity, and data-driven approach are shaping the future of the industry and helping shelters and rescues nationwide.
To the Baldwin Wallace students: your contributions are making a difference. Your analysis has equipped shelters with tools and insights to save more lives, and we’re inspired by your passion and hard work.
Partner with SAC
Are you an educator interested in supporting student research by using SAC’s data? We’d love to hear from you! Our data provides a unique opportunity to explore critical issues in animal welfare and contribute to a better future for animals nationwide.
Together, we can make a difference—for shelters, for animals, and for communities across the country.
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Photo from left to right: Kaelyn Williams, Gino Pallotta, Kyla Koós
Faculty Member: Dr. Laura Croyle