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2015 CFHS National Animal Welfare Conference
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the proportion of dogs surrendered
for dog-related and owner-related reasons
Kim Lambert, Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University
of Guelph
Presented by Jason Coe, Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College,
University of Guelph
Companion-animal relinquishment is a worldwide phenomenon that leaves companion animals
homeless. Knowing why humans make the decision to end their relationship with a companion
animal can help in our understanding of this complex societal issue and can help to develop
preventive strategies. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize
reasons why dogs are surrendered, and determine if certain study characteristics were associated
with the reported proportions of reasons for surrender.
Articles investigating one or more reasons for dog surrender were selected from the references of
a previous scoping review. Data were extracted from 18 articles that met the inclusion criteria.
Meta-analysis was conducted on articles investigating reasons for dog surrender to a shelter
(n=9) or dog surrender for euthanasia (n=5). Results of meta-analysis found that owner
health/illness as a reason for dog surrender to a shelter had an overall estimate of 4.6% (95% CI:
4.1%, 5.2%). There were significant differences in the methods used among studies for all other
identified reasons for surrender preventing further analysis. Country was identified as a
significant source of variation (p < 0.01) among studies reporting behavioural problems as a
reason for dog surrender for euthanasia. The overall estimate for studies from Australia was 10%
(95% CI: 8.0%, 12.0%), compared to 16% (95% CI: 15.0%, 18.0%) for studies from other
countries. This may suggest that euthanasia because of behavioural problems occurs less often in
Australia, although the numerical difference was small.
The present study highlights the need for further research and standardizing the methods used to
collect surrender data to improve understanding of the reasons for dog relinquishment.
Key Learnings:
1. Awareness of how differences in collecting data can impact our understanding of reasons
for surrender and affect results of studies
2. Importance of standardized data collection methods to investigate reasons for surrender
3. Importance of shelter data to future research on surrender and measuring the impact of
interventions/programs
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Kim Lambert graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in
1998. Over the course of her career, she worked as both a large and small animal veterinarian, in
102-30 Concourse Gate, Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7V7
(888) 678-2347
fax / téléc: (613) 723-0252
[email protected]
www.cfhs.ca
Ontario and Indiana. While in Indiana, Kim volunteered and worked with local animal shelters.
In 2014, she completed her Master of Science degree at the Ontario Veterinary College. Her
research focused on shelter animals and reasons for surrender. She is currently the Manager of
the Clinical Communication Program at the Ontario Veterinary College.
102-30 Concourse Gate, Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7V7
(888) 678-2347
fax / téléc: (613) 723-0252
[email protected]
www.cfhs.ca