BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES OF ANIMALS IN ADOPTION It is not uncommon for animals to have experienced negative effects of adoption, but the reasons for these effects are not out of our control. Pets are born and bred to be looked after by humans, they can’t cater for themselves and they need a companion to be by their side for their whole life so it our duty to cater for their needs and give them a great life, but when humans lack in this then animals suffer the consequences, and this is when they develop behavioural problems. Admitting animals into adoption centres is simply just putting animals in other people’s hands. Before the animals find their forever home, staff are required to learn the ins and outs of the animals, so they need to know the behavioural issues which means working closely alongside them to familiarise themselves with these characteristics. This assists the customers in
the future who are looking to adopt so they are aware of what they are getting themselves into (Happold 2018). In an environment where there are a lot of other animals, noises and surroundings can take a toll on the animals’ emotions and behaviour which may cause them to act irrationally which can be unappealing to people looking to adopt. Designing an area where animals’ behaviours are monitored, and they are separated for their behaviours might prevent the animals feeling uncomfortable and acting irrationally. The layout of the facility should be designed to make the animals feel as comfortable as possible. It is most common that pounds and kennels are known to feel small and jail-like for animals which can be an influence for their characteristics that they portray, so doing as much in the design to prevent this from happening is the most crucial factor (Kornelis 2020).
Design can be quite important in an adoption centre, but it is also the owner’s responsibility to have patience when walking in and to understand that the animal has a past. For a dog who has been adopted and been to multiple homes previously, they can develop more aggressive, erratic manners which can make prevent them from being picked first to be adopted (Gates, Zito, Thomas & Dale 2018). In saying this, though, it is more of a common occurrence for cats than dogs to take longer to adapt in a new home after being neglected and disowned by their previous owners (Scott, Jong, McArthur & Hazel 2018). It Is important for the adopters to do their research and take into consideration that a cat’s behaviour is more likely to change coming from the adoption centre to a new environment, this can sometimes be a negative change and other times a positive change, but it Is
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