Factors Associated with the Relinquishment of Domestic Canines to Animal Shelters

1. Factors Associated with the Relinquishment of Domestic Canines to Animal Shelters Dissertation Hearing Defense by Barry Adkins

2. Introduction to the Problem • Pet Overpopulation • HSUS est. 5 million • People Problem • Euthanasia • Most Effective Solution • Importance of Canine Well-Being • Domestication • Psychological Effect • Reducing Relinquishment

3. Purposes of the Study • Descriptive:To Describe characteristics of South Florida pet owners who relinquish pets to animal shelters.

4. Purposes of the Study • Exploratory: (Comparative) – To explore differences in preemptive relinquishing actions according to South Florida pet owner characteristics

5. Purposes of the Study • Explanatory: (Correlation) – To explain relationship among pet owner characteristics and preemptive relinquishing actions, length of time to relinquish pets, and history of pet relinquishment.

6. Definition of Terms Pet Maintenance Behavior Animal Shelters Pet Owner’s Basic Canine Knowledge Intake Demographic Characteristics of the Relinquisher Canine Behavior Problems Domestic Canine Canine Temperament and Other Characteristics History of Pet Relinquishment Pet Relinquishment By Caregiver Expectations of Pet Owners Length of Time to Relinquish a Pet Relinquishment Actions

7. Justification • Researchable • Concepts of framework are measurable and hypotheses can be measured and tested • Feasible • Subjects are available to study • Significance • Moral obligation • Cost • Contribution to knowledge – Preemptive relinquishing actions

8. Review of Literature • Historical Overview of Animal Services Industry • Overpopulation of Pets • Spay and Neutering • Reasons Canine are Relinquished • Key factors for Relinquishment • Behavioral Reasons Associated With Relinquishment • Key Concepts • Rational Expectations • Planned Behavior

9. Theoretical Framework • Muth’s (1961) Theory of Rational Expectations • Expectations – What People Expect • Azjen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior • Attitude • Subjective Norms • Perceive Behavior Control • Self-Identify Theory by Fekadu and Kraft (2001), • Predict intentions from past behavior • Pet Owner relinquishment history • DiGiacomo et al. (1998) Relinquisher’s perspective • Five-level Framework proposed by Fournier and Geller (2004)

10. Pet Owner Demographic Characteristics Basic Canine Knowledge Pet Maintenance Behavior Pet Owner Expectations Canine Canine Temperament Canine Behavior Problems H2 Length of Time to Relinquish a Pet PreemptiveRelinquishing Actions H1 Relinquish- ment History H3 Theoretical Framework

11. Research Design • Non-experimental, mixed-method, predominantly a quantitative • Explanatory and Predictive (Correlation) • Exploratory (Causal comparative) • Self-Report Survey

12. Population and Sample Target Population • Canine Owners relinquishing pets in the United States. Accessible Population • Canine Owners residing in the Tri-County area Two Step Non-probability purposive sampling plan Non-Probability, Quota Sampling Plan Final Data Producing Sample • Pet Owner completed surveys – Shelter/Mail • English = 444 and Spanish = 156

13. Sample Size • Sample size 600 • 14% response rate • Number of days 69

14. Data Collection Procedures • Permissions to use scales • Permission to conduct study at Tri County Animal Shelters • Application to IRB. Requested to waive documentation of consent signature • After IRB’s review and permission -proceeded with the translations • Train Data Collectors at each Animal Shelter on Collection Procedures • Distributed Surveys to each Shelter, Numbered to Identify Shelter

15. Data Collection Procedures • Collected Surveys Weekly, Continued Survey until Quota was Reached • IRB Termination Form 8 • Data Analyzed using SPSS • Data Stored One Year

16. Instrumentation

17. Methods of Data Analysis Psychometric Analyses Reliability Analysis – Coefficient Alphas Construct Validity – Exploratory Factor Analysis Convergent and Divergent Validity – Pearson r

18. Hypotheses Testing Explanatory (Correlation) Research Design--> Multiple Regression Analysis – Major Steps STEP 1: Identify Possible Explanatory Variables for Regression Model – Find variables that correlated with the dependent variable If: a. Categorical Variables (Non-Linear Relationship) i.  Eta ii. Example: Time and Ethnicity iii. If Eta shows a trend (p<=.10)or significance (p<=.05), categorical variable converted to dummy variable

19. Continued: Find correlated variables with the dependent variable b.Continuous Variables (Linear Relationship) i.Pearson r Correlation ii. Example: Time and Canine Temperament Scale iii. Pearson r Correlation of Dummy variable and dependent (Linear Relationship) –

20. STEP 2:   Stepwise (forward) Multiple Regression Analyses and Discriminant Regression Analyses (H2b) a.EnterSignificant or Trend Variables (r, p=<.10):  strongest to weakest b.Multicollinearity Examined:VIF and Tolerance (no variables removed) c.Significant Models = F and p d.Select Best Explanatory Model  Examine R2 and AdjustedR2

21. Research Question 1 • Descriptive demographic characteristics, basic canine knowledge, pet maintenance behaviors, and the expectations of pet owners What are South Florida Pet Owners who are relinquishing their pets?

22. Research Question 2 • Descriptive canine temperaments and other characteristics, and canine behavior problems What are South Florida Pet Owners who are relinquishing their pets?

23. Research Question 3 • Descriptive pet relinquishing in pet owners, the length of time to relinquish a pet, and preemptive relinquishing actions What is History South Florida Pet Owners?

24. Research Question 4 • Qualitative South Florida pet owners describe, as being taken What Actions Do from the time of their initial thought of relinquishing their pet to the day of surrender? No pet owners indicated that they had taken additional re-homing actions.

25. Research Question 5 • Comparative • Independent t-tests • Chi-square tests demographic characteristics, basic canine knowledge, pet maintenance behaviors, and the expectations of pet owners canine temperaments and other characteristics, and canine behavior problems pet relinquishing in pet owners, the length of time to relinquish a pet, and preemptive relinquishing actions Are there differences in south Florida pet owner according to pet owners that relinquish their pets for the first time versus those who have a history of relinquishing pets?

26. Results Results & Interpretations Psychometric Analyses

27. Instrumentation

28. Instrumentation(Continue)

29. Results Research Questions and Hypotheses Results & Interpretations

30. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

31. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

32. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

33. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

34. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

35. Research Question 1Demographic Characteristics

36. Research Question 1Socio-Demographics

37. Research Question 1Pet Owner Basic Canine Knowledge Characteristics of the Sample • 8 items, 5-point Likert Scale • Actual scores ranged from a low of 37.5 % to a high of 100%. • The mean score for the sample was 75.15% with a standard deviation of 14.68 • Scale was not used in comparative or regression analysis to answer research questions and to test hypotheses

38. Research Question 1Pet Maintenance Behavior Characteristics of the Sample • 6 items, 5-point Likert Scale • Three subscales • Pet Care Subscale (3-15) (M=9) Register, vaccinate and exam • Pet Housing Subscale (2-10) (M=4.9) Outside • Pet Obedience Subscale. (1-5) (M=1.3) No Training • Actual total scores (6-30) (6-28) (M=15.20) Average PMB • Scale was used in comparative and regression analysis to answer research questions and to test hypotheses

39. Research Question 1Expectations of Pet Owners Characteristics of the Sample • 6 items, 5-point Likert Scale • Two subscales • PetBenefits ExpectationsSubscale (3-15) (M=8.12) Fewer Benefits • PetProblem Expectations Subscale (3-15) (M=8.92) More Daily Problems • Actual total scores (6-30) (6-28) (M=17.53) Average EPO • Scale was used in comparative and regression analysis to answer research questions and to test hypotheses

40. Research Question 2Demographic CharacteristicsCanine Temperament Scale • 5 items, 5-point Likert Scale • unidimensional • Actual total scores (5-25) (5-22) (M=14.54) Slightly Composed • Scale was used in comparative and regression analysis to answer research questions and to test hypotheses

41. Research Question 2CanineCharacteristics

42. Research Question 2CanineCharacteristics

43. Research Question 2CanineCharacteristics

44. Research Question 2CanineCharacteristics

45. Research Question 2CanineCharacteristics

46. Research Question 2Canine Behavior Scale • 7 items, 5-point Likert Scale • Two subscales • Aggressive BehaviorSubscale (3-15) (M=5.17) Fewer aggression related problems • Annoying BehaviorSubscale (4-20) (M=11.60) Slightly above average annoying behavior • Actual total scores (7-35) (7-29) (M=16.75) Average Canine Behavior • Scale was used in comparative or regression analysis to answer research questions and to test hypotheses

47. Research Question 3Length of time to Relinquish a Pet

48. Research Question 4Preemptive Relinquishing Actions

49. Research Question 5History of Relinquishing

50. Research Question 5 t-Test p = .004 p = .00 p = .07