Promising Next Steps in Increasing Adoption Retention Phases I and II of the study revealed several key findings about barriers to pet ownership and post-adoption retention, and they provide a framework by which intervention strategies aimed at increasing adoption retention may be informed. The findings suggest that some of the more promising strategies aimed at increasing adoption retention may include: 1. Supporting younger future cat owners (18-34 years) (Phase I) and promoting pet ownership among young adults (25-34 years) overall (Phase II) 2. Continuing to assess negative attitudes toward cats, especially among people who have never owned a cat (Phase I) 3. Understanding that ongoing grief is a barrier to new pet ownership and identifying methods to help people work through grief, celebrate the prior pet, and reenter the ownership pool (Phase I)
“While the challenges for effective interventions are seemingly high, the goal of saving more lives warrants further research and testing.”
4. Understanding that 64 percent of prospective dog owners and 56 percent of prospective cat owners may be adopting pets from shelters and rescue agencies and offering support at this point of acquisition (Phase I) 5. Working with broad and diverse segments of society to reduce existing barriers to ownership, such as housing restrictions and veterinary/general expenses (Phase I) 6. Understanding that research or preparatory work completed before adoption may not have a large effect upon retention (Phase II) 7. Implementing intervention strategies within the first, critical weeks of adoption (Phase II) 8. Building awareness in shelters that prior adopters calling for advice may be considering relinquishing pets and these shelters should carefully address an owner’s concerns (Phase II) 9. Providing behavioral support that focuses on solidifying the human-animal bond (Phase II) 10. Creating innovative strategies to increase adoption retention by implementing post-adoption programs that facilitate veterinary visits and cultivate a supportive relationship between adopters, shelter facilities, and communities (Phase II)
© 2013 American Humane Association.
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