Humane Communities: Social change through policies promoting collective welfare

Hawes, Sloane M.; Flynn, Erin; Tedeschi, Philip; Morris, Kevin N.

doi:10.1080/07352166.2019.1680244

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Although the number of dogs and cats euthanized in shelters has decreased approximately ten-fold from an estimated 64 per 1000 capita in the 1970 s to a currently estimated 5.6 per 1000 capita [ 6 , 7 ], if animals are returned or relinquished for reasons related to illness, injury, old age, or behavior issues that threaten safety they may be at an increased risk of euthanasia [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Addressing the issue of pet retention is important due to the positive role pets play in communities [ 11 , 12 ]. Numerous studies have shown that companion animals can contribute to both human physical [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ] and psychosocial health [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter

Hawes

Kerrigan

Hupe

et al. 2020

Animals

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Although the adoption rate of dogs and cats from animal shelters has increased, a proportion of animals are returned to the shelter after they are adopted. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors informing the return of 102 dogs to an animal shelter over a four-month period, and the return of 72 cats to an animal shelter over a three-month period. Descriptive statistics revealed dogs are most commonly returned for behavior issues related to aggression (38.2%), and cats are most commonly returned due to the adopter’s personal reasons (56.9%). The results also indicated that more than half of the dogs (51.0%) and cats (57.0%) returned in this study were owned for more than 60 days. Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of different pet retention programs in addressing the factors that inform returned adoptions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter

Hawes

Kerrigan

Hupe

et al. 2020

Animals

Self Cite

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“…The Humane Communities framework was developed to highlight how integrating expertise across multiple disciplines to identify best practices and to assess the impacts of policies or programs on the health and wellness of humans, other animals, and the environment can be used to operationalize the One Health and One Welfare concepts [ 22 ]. While an initial series of social-economic impact studies of animal welfare policies and practices have been used to explore how the Humane Communities framework could guide policy development, more research is needed to assess specific practices that can most effectively and sustainably improve outcomes across the One Health and One Welfare triads [ 8 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Section: One Health and One Welfare In Animal Control Reformmentioning

confidence: 99%

Punishment to Support: The Need to Align Animal Control Enforcement with the Human Social Justice Movement

Hawes

Hupe

Morris

2020

Animals

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Due to inherent and systemic biases, animal control policies in the US are over-enforced in low-income communities and communities of color, resulting in worse health outcomes for the pets in these communities. These outcomes are exemplified by higher confiscation, relinquishment, and euthanasia rates, lower return to owner rates, and extended lengths of stay in animal shelters. The Humane Communities framework operationalizes One Health and One Welfare concepts to comprehensively address issues of inequity at both the individual and structural levels to improve animal control policy and outcomes. Person-centered and culturally competent policies and programs that focus resources on addressing root causes of pet health and welfare issues as opposed to an emphasis on code enforcement can create more positive, scalable, and sustainable improvements in human, other animal, and environmental health and welfare outcomes. This shift from punishment-oriented approaches to support-based models of animal control aligns the animal welfare field with the modern human social justice movement.

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“…However, there is limited evidence to suggest that such laws are effective. In contrast, there is growing evidence to suggest that such laws are ineffective, negatively impact animal welfare, and, in fact, do little to make communities safer [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. There are many reasons why breed specific legislation is ineffective, including the misidentification of dog breeds, an issue that has been reported among members of the general public, animal shelter workers, law enforcement officers, and human health care professionals [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

US Adults’ Perceptions of Dog Breed Bans, Dog Aggression and Breed-Specific Laws

Kogan

Packman

Erdman

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Dog aggression directed towards people is a leading reason for relinquishment and a major public health hazard. In response to the threat of dog aggression and dog bites, breed-specific legislation has been introduced in numerous cities within the United States and countries throughout the world. There is limited evidence, however, to suggest that such laws are effective. This study explored, through an online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey, US residents’ views about the bite risk of common dog breeds, breed-specific legislation, and alternative options for improved public safety. A total of 586 surveys were completed by adult US residents, 48.8% female and 48.6% male. Approximately half of the respondents reported feeling that dog bites are a serious public health issue. Although 70% of respondents were opposed to a breed ban, only 56% felt that banning specific breeds creates an animal welfare issue. Females were less likely to support a ban or agree that specific breed bans improve public safety. When participants were asked to indicate their support of several alternatives to breed-specific legislation, the most frequently endorsed options included public education about animal welfare and animal behavior, and stricter leash laws. Further research pertaining to the most effective public education dissemination methods is warranted.

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Humane Communities: Social change through policies promoting collective welfare

Cited by 11 publications

References 48 publications

Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter

Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter

Punishment to Support: The Need to Align Animal Control Enforcement with the Human Social Justice Movement

US Adults’ Perceptions of Dog Breed Bans, Dog Aggression and Breed-Specific Laws

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