New Strategies of Canine Post-Adoption Support: Methods for a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Behavior
• Canine Welfare

Background:

• Rehoming dogs can present challenges for both dogs and adopters.
• Understanding post-adoption issues is crucial for successful integration and reducing relinquishment.
• Existing support systems often lack comprehensive, longitudinal data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the methodology and design of the Post Adoption Support project.
• To establish a large prospective cohort for studying canine health and behavior post-rehoming.
• To profile initial adoption data and assess rehoming support effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving adopters from UK Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres.
• Standardized phone calls to adopters at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 4 months post-adoption.
• Collection of longitudinal data on dog health, behavior, and adopter support.

Main Results:

• The study enrolled 5498 adopters in its initial 6-month period.
• Phone call success rates ranged from 72% (4 months) to 89% (2 days).
• Rich datasets on canine health and behavior were collected during the critical first four months.

Conclusions:

• The Post Adoption Support project provides significant insights into canine welfare during the initial post-adoption period.
• Findings will inform strategies for effective rehoming and post-adoption support.
• The study establishes a foundation for understanding and mitigating re-relinquishment risks.