Is It Really a Failure? A Survey About Foster Animal Adoption

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior and Welfare
• Volunteer Psychology
• Nonprofit Management

Background:

• The term "foster fail" is widely used in animal rescue, implying frequent occurrences.
• Previous research has not explored the prevalence or implications of volunteers adopting their foster animals.
• Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for animal welfare organizations and volunteer management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and reasons behind foster fails among animal rescue volunteers.
• To identify characteristics of volunteers most likely to adopt their foster animals.
• To examine the impact of pet attachment styles, grief coping, and volunteer experience on foster adoption.

Main Methods:

• A survey-based study was conducted with 947 foster volunteers from two nonprofit organizations.
• Data were collected through surveys distributed via partner organizations and shelter directors.
• Frequency, correlation, and regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• 38% of volunteers had not adopted a foster in the past ten years; 24% had adopted two or more.
• Older, retired, less educated, female volunteers with cats, and those in fostering families were more likely to foster-fail.
• Higher pet attachment, fostering special needs animals, longer volunteer tenure, and higher resilience were associated with more foster adoptions.

Conclusions:

• Foster adoption is not a "failure" but a positive outcome for animals, adopters, and rescues.
• Foster adoptions contribute to volunteer resilience, satisfaction, and longevity within organizations.
• This phenomenon can be leveraged to enhance volunteer engagement and retention in animal welfare.