Version 1
: Received: 5 January 2024 / Approved: 8 January 2024 / Online: 8 January 2024 (06:59:21 CET)
How to cite:
Afonso, P.; Quintas, H.; Cardoso, L.; Coelho, A.C. Choosing Companions: Pet Adoption Preferences in Portugal – a Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints2024, 2024010562. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0562.v1
Afonso, P.; Quintas, H.; Cardoso, L.; Coelho, A.C. Choosing Companions: Pet Adoption Preferences in Portugal – a Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints 2024, 2024010562. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0562.v1
Afonso, P.; Quintas, H.; Cardoso, L.; Coelho, A.C. Choosing Companions: Pet Adoption Preferences in Portugal – a Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints2024, 2024010562. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0562.v1
APA Style
Afonso, P., Quintas, H., Cardoso, L., & Coelho, A.C. (2024). Choosing Companions: Pet Adoption Preferences in Portugal – a Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0562.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Afonso, P., Luís Cardoso and Ana Cláudia Coelho. 2024 "Choosing Companions: Pet Adoption Preferences in Portugal – a Cross-Sectional Study" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0562.v1
Abstract
In the wake of Portugal's pivotal shift to animal welfare legislation in 2018, where the no-kill policy for population control came into effect, animal shelters have emerged as critical sanctuaries for stray or unwanted animals. Recognising the critical role that adopter preferences play in the successful placement of shelter animals and the pressing need for shelters to expedite adoptions to liberate valuable space to accommodate more animals in need of refuge, this study seeks to investigate the intricate matrix of factors guiding adopters' choices. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a convenience sample of the Portuguese population to assess their preferences and opinions about pet adoption. An online questionnaire was completed by 415 participants from February to October 2021. Among participants selecting attributes for pet adoption, the top preferences were behaviour (52.8%), size (49.6%), vaccination and deworming status (44.3%), and age (36.1%). Conversely, breed (7.2%), sex (6.3%), and animal colour (5.1%) were the least prioritised. Combinations were established based on the most selected attributes. Certain participant characteristics, such as education level and pet ownership history, exhibited distinct preferences in animal attributes. Portuguese people show a marked preference for shelter adoption, prioritising behaviour, size, and health over breed and colour. This insight allows shelters to allocate resources effectively. While promising, the trend towards shelter adoption needs adaptive strategies to align with evolving adopter preferences.
Keywords
animal shelter; adoption; preferences; Portugal
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
