Understanding Shelter Animal Behavior: Now more important than ever!

Amy Marder, VMD, CAABAdjunct Assistant Professor

Cummings School of Veterinary MedicineAt Tufts University

• PAST*

• PRESENT

• FUTURE

*Steve Zawistowski

Historical Perspective

The Past*

Drowning of StraysDrowning of Strays*

Drowning of StraysASPCA 1866*

Henry Bergh mourns the strays

Drowning of StraysCity Refuge*

Accepted Philadelphia’s strays and unwanted dogs and cats

First humane animal shelter

Provided medical treatment

Placement into new homes

Humane Euthanasia

Drowning of StraysNew York City Trend (1894-1994)*

Drowning of StraysProgram Developments*

Drowning of StraysProgram Developments*

1946 – Post WWII veterinary focus on companion animals

Dr. Mark Morris

1970s – emphasis on spay-neuter to control populations

1974 – A modest proposal

Drowning of StraysApplied Animal Behavior

1974 – Tuber, Hothersall and Voith. Animal Clinical Psychology: A modest Proposal. American Psychologist.

1976 - American Society of Veterinary Ethology 1980s – Behavior programs appear at animal shelters

1991 – Animal Behavior Society Certification for Applied Animal Behaviorists

1993 – American College of Veterinary Behavior

Drowning of StraysApplied Animal Behavior in Shelters

1974 – Tuber, Dayton .

1980s – Zawistowski, Hetts behavior programs appear at animal shelters (ASPCA, DDFL)

1993 - 2004 National Council on Pet Population

1998 - Center for Behavioral Therapy ASPCA

2001- Animal Rescue League of Boston

2006 - Center for Shelter Dogs

The PresentThe Present

Changing World for Shelter Dogs

• Fewer dogs are being handled by shelters

• Reluctance to euthanize for space

• Desire to eliminate avoidable euthanasia

• More need to identify and manage behaviors

• More dogs being handled by less structured, grass-roots networks (rescue, foster, transport)

• Dogs are being transported

• Internet has made dog rescue global and desirable

The Need is Great

• Many shelters are evaluating dog and cat behavior

• Shelters are being pressured to do evaluations and institute behavioral programs

• Behavior evaluations are not or only partially validated and the effectiveness of enrichment and behavior treatment programs is hardly known

• Predictability of behavior evaluations• Effectiveness of JM program

The Time is Right

• Growing expertise in companion animal behavior (CAAB, ACAAB, DACVB, CPDT) • Increased volume and quality of scientific

literature on shelter animal behavior (journals, on-line journals)

• Textbook on shelter behavior

• Ability to keep statistics • Great interest in modifying behavior

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2008200920102011201220132014

The Time is Right

• Great interest in measuring and understanding the influence of stress on behavior

• Great interest in debunking shelter myths• Black dogs• Getting pets as gifts• Identifying breeds • Associating behavior and breed• Treating each animal as an individual

• “Because every dog is different”

The FUTURE

• Use what we have learned and will learn to save more animals lives• Food aggression• Behavior evaluations• Play groups

• Work together to leave our old ways and establish new ways based on research• Shelters• Universities• Coalitions• Organizations

Thank you for your attention!