Observed Benefits of a Rehome Web Application For Harder-To-Adopt Pet Populations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56771/jsmcah.v4.69Keywords:
online rehoming, peer-to-peer rehoming, senior cats, senior dogs, large dogs, animal shelter, animal adoption, animal length of stay, animal welfareAbstract
Introduction: Owner-to-owner rehoming platforms such as Home-Home.org, Getyourpet.com, and Rehome.adoptapet.com (hereafter, Rehome) were launched in 2016 and 2017 as alternatives to traditional shelter intake. Previous research identified characteristics that predict an animal’s likelihood of successful diversion from shelter intake via person-to-person rehoming platforms. These findings suggested that certain populations – specifically senior animals and large dogs – have lower odds of diversion. This study builds on this by evaluating whether harder-to-adopt animals can benefit from being listed on Rehome.
Methods: Using data from Rehome and 23 shelters participating in the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) initiative, this study used Cox regression, chi-square tests, and two outcome metrics: median length of stay (LOS) and adoption rate. Analyses focused on harder-to-adopt animals – defined as senior cats, senior dogs, and large dogs – and compared adoption rates between animals listed on Rehome and those surrendered to shelters.
Results: Animals on Rehome had longer LOS than animals in the shelter. Cox regression results further indicated that animals on Rehome had lower probabilities of adoption at any given time compared to those in shelters. Overall, adoption rates were higher in shelters, although considerable variability existed among shelters; whereas Rehome’s performance remained relatively stable. In some regions, Rehome had higher adoption rates than the corresponding local shelter.
Conclusion: The results imply that harder-to-adopt animals have a better chance of finding a new home in shelters than through an online rehoming website. However, harder-to-adopt animals still find success on Rehome. Considering that Rehome results in efficiency gains for shelter systems and a reduced-stress environment for animals, if properly expanded and utilized by shelter communities, Rehome could serve as a useful complementary tool for shelters. It may also help reduce shelter intakes, especially of animals traditionally classified as harder-to-adopt.
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