The COVID-19 Animal Fostering Boom: Ephemera or Chimera?

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Behavior
• Sociology

Background:

• Social and traditional media reported increased animal fostering during the pandemic.
• Empirical data was lacking to confirm if this increase was temporary or sustained.
• The influence of pandemic-related stressors and remote work on fostering was unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically assess the increase in animal foster volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify demographic and situational factors associated with increased fostering.
• To understand the potential long-term impact and retention strategies for foster volunteers.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a national survey of over 600 animal shelter and rescue foster volunteers.
• Utilized statistical analysis (chi-squared test) to determine the significance of the increase in fostering.
• Analyzed correlations between fostering increases and factors like working from home, education, age, gender, and pet ownership.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in animal fostering during the pandemic was confirmed (x² = 45.20, p = 0.00).
• Fostering particularly increased among volunteers working from home, those with higher education, younger males, and individuals without existing dogs.
• The rise in fostering appears strongly linked to the ability to work from home.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a rise in animal fostering during the pandemic.
• The increase is likely ephemeral and contingent upon the continuation of remote work policies.
• Animal welfare organizations should focus on providing emotional support to human foster volunteers to improve retention, rather than solely focusing on the animals.