Janne B. H. Jensen, Peter Sandøe, and S. Nielsen (2020) analyzed over two decades of data from a Danish animal shelter, covering 3204 dog and 2755 cat relinquishments. Their study, published in Animals, provides rare long-term insights into why owners give up their pets.
The results showed that owner-related issues accounted for 75% of dog relinquishments and 74% of cat relinquishments. Among dogs, the leading causes were owner health (29%), behavioral problems (23%), housing issues (21%), and lack of time (14%). For cats, owner health (32%), housing issues (26%), and behavioral problems (25%) dominated the list.
Interestingly, the number of dogs surrendered declined by about 3% annually over the 21-year period, while cat numbers remained stable. The findings suggest that effective prevention requires focusing not only on pet training but also on supporting owners during illness, housing changes, and time pressures.
The authors conclude that addressing owner challenges is key to reducing relinquishments and improving long-term welfare for both pets and people.
Source: Jensen, J. B. H., Sandøe, P., & Nielsen, S. (2020). Owner-Related Reasons Matter more than Behavioural Problems—A Study of Why Owners Relinquished Dogs and Cats to a Danish Animal Shelter from 1996 to 2017. Journal: Animals, Volume 10. Publication Date: 2020-06-01. Authors: Janne B. H. Jensen, Peter Sandøe, S. Nielsen.
