New report provides data on barriers to adoption including pet care costs, access to veterinary care and housing restrictions; offers hopeful insights and commentary on pathways to addressing the over-capacity crisis in shelters

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill's Pet Nutrition, a leading partner in animal welfare, today released new findings from the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report. The research, which provides insights from a socio-economically diverse group of 2,500 current and prospective pet owners, provides a deeper understanding of consumer perceptions and behaviors driving the increase in animal intakes in animal shelters and decrease in adoption rates.

For the fourth year in a row, animal shelters across the country are facing an over-capacity crisis. According to Shelter Animals Count, 6.5 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2023 alone, and populations increased by 900,000 animals since January 2021. New data from Shelter Animals Count indicates that animals of all sizes are experiencing an increased length of stay compared to 2019, fueling the shelter capacity crisis.

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"Collaboration and a community-centric approach are crucial to finding impactful ways to address pet homelessness and over-capacity issues in animal shelters," said Dr. Karen Shenoy, US Chief Veterinary Officer at Hill's Pet Nutrition. "Outside of our more than 22 year history of providing nutritional support to more than 1,000 animal shelters, we are also committed to providing support beyond nutrition to give our shelter partners and the broader animal welfare community data and insights to help us work collectively to create a happier and healthier world for pets and the people who care for them."

One way we do that is by supplying shelters with quality nutrition to help shelter pets be healthy, happy and more adoptable.  Since 2002, the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program has provided more than $300 million worth of dog and cat nutrition to more than 1,000 animal shelters."

The report also features insights from animal welfare leaders and highlights innovative shelter programs to provide possible pathways and solutions to removing barriers, minimizing owner surrenders and supporting more adoptions.

"The 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report gives the animal welfare community difference-making data," said Jim Tedford, President and CEO at The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. "It allows animal shelters to better understand what pet parents need to make adoption more accessible so they can equip pet parents with the information and resources needed to welcome a shelter pet into their home." 

Key Findings
The following key findings from the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report will support shelters in creating more data-driven strategies for removing barriers to pet adoption and care. 

America Still Loves an Underdog (and Cat)
Overall, Americans are open to adopting shelter pets, and younger generations are even more likely to adopt: 

• 66% of people are likely to adopt shelter pets
• Of Gen Z and Millennials who've adopted a shelter pet before, 90% and 94% respectively are likely to adopt again; and for those who've never adopted a shelter pet, 75% and 77% respectively are likely to adopt

Cost of Pet Ownership Continues to Be Top Barrier to Adoption 
Respondents' top concerns about owning a pet relate mostly to the finances involved in caring for a pet:

• Nearly 50% of respondents said overall cost of pet ownership was the biggest challenge to pet ownership
• 84% of respondents said veterinary care is the most expensive part of owning a pet

Income Levels and Pet-Inclusive Housing Are Defining Factors in Pet Ownership Accessibility
Pet adoption is less accessible for people making less than $75,000: 

• Those making less than $75,000 are more likely to surrender a pet due to financial difficulties and are more likely to say the cost of pet ownership exceeded their expectations
• Those making less than $50,000 are more likely to have experienced at least one pet-related housing restriction and are more likely to say the cost of veterinary care impacts their decision to adopt

Large Dogs Still Lag in Adoptions But Gen Z Is Key
Respondents report being less likely to adopt large dogs than cats or small- to medium-sized dogs, which are believed to be easier and less expensive to manage:

• Fewer than one in four respondents report being likely to adopt a large dog:
  • 46% are likely to adopt a small dog
  • 45% are likely to adopt a medium dog
  • 39% are likely to adopt a cat
  • 24% are likely to adopt a large dog
• With 37% of 18- to 24-year-olds saying they are open to adopting a large dog, Gen Z is statistically more likely to adopt a large dog than any other age group

Misconceptions Around Fostering Leading to Lower Participation Rates
While survey respondents view fostering favorably, misperceptions about the costs and a fear of adopting the fostered pet may be limiting broader participation:

• 40% of prospective fosters are afraid of adopting their foster pet (There is no expectation for fosterers to adopt)
• 64% of prospective fosters say that if pet care costs were covered during the experience, they'd be likely to foster (Fostering usually requires minimal financial investment, with many shelters providing the fosterer with all necessary supplies, including pet food)

Post-Adoption Support is Key to Reducing Returns and Relinquishments
Offering pet parents post-adoption support, especially behavior services, is a powerful tool to keeping more pets with their families:

• Respondents rated post-adoption behavioral services more likely to positively influence adoption (34%) than pre-adoption behavioral services (30%)
• Of respondents who experienced post-adoption anxiety, 46% said behavioral issues were the top driving force
• Of individuals who had relinquished a pet, 24% said behavioral/training issues were the top reason for surrendering
• 94% of pet owners considering relinquishment kept their pet after receiving support 

"Animal sheltering organizations across the country are now grappling with a 'new normal' where dogs are now waiting nearly twice as long to get adopted than they were prior to the pandemic," said Stephanie Filer, Executive Director at Shelter Animals Count. "The Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report provides invaluable insights into why the capacity crisis is occurring so that sheltering organizations, and their communities alike, can actually do something about it."

The report is part of Hill's Pet Nutrition ongoing commitment to animal welfare which includes a rich history of more than two decades of work and programming that has helped support more than 14 million adoptions, provided more than $300 million dollars in pet nutrition to feed shelter pets at more than 1,000 shelters across the country and has provided millions of dollars to fuel local food pantries for communities in need.

For more information about the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, visit www.hillspet.com/shelter.

About Hill's Pet Nutrition
Founded more than 75 years ago, Hill's Pet Nutrition has been committed to providing pets with the best nutrition through extensive research and a scientific understanding of their specific needs. Their team of 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists, and food scientists constantly strive to develop innovative solutions for pet health. Hill's offers a full line of products, including their Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition and Science Diet wellness products, which are available at veterinary clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about their products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com.

Media Contact:
Emma Honn, emma.honn@vml.com

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