The Effect of Kennel Viewing on the Adoption of Slow-Track Dogs

Abstract

The Orange County (California) animal shelter allowed adopters to peruse dog kennels until early 2020 but suspended visitor access to dog kennels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Except for a late 2023 pilot program, the restrictions remained in place through 2023. Then, in January 2024, partial daily viewing sessions were instituted. We study the effect of this change on adoptions of dogs with length of stay (LOS) ≥ 9, who account for 42% of adoptions but 72% of inventory excluding dogs returned to owner. Adoption counts in 2024 are 40% higher than expected in viewing sessions using 2023 as a reference, or 57% higher using 2022 as a reference, and these results are statistically significant (P = 0.009, P = 0.0009, respectively). Adoption rates are computed as a percent of inventory (equivalently, adoption probabilities per animal per session). In the period 2019–2024 but excluding 2020, adoption rates were 1.04% – 1.18% per session (with an average of 1.10%) in viewing sessions versus. 0.68% – 0.80% (with an average of 0.74%) in non-viewing sessions. The evidence suggests that kennel viewing enhances opportunities for increasing adoptions of dogs with LOS ≥ 9.