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We are so incredibly proud and excited to announce that our volunteer data scientist, Michael Mavrovouniotis, had his his findings regarding the effects of kennel viewing on the adoption rate of "slow-track" dogs published in the Journal of Shelter Medicine & Community Animal Health.
We encourage all of you to click on the picture above to read the entire paper, but Michael has given us a layperson's summary here:
How Kennel Viewing Affects Dog Adoptions:
A Study of Orange County Animal Shelter
Background: Animal shelters play a crucial role in finding homes for dogs in need, but not all dogs are adopted at the same rate. Some dogs, often due to their size, age, or other factors, take longer to find homes. These "slow-track" dogs tend to have a longer Length of Stay (LOS) in the shelter. Traditionally, shelters allow visitors to walk through kennels and meet the dogs in person, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many shelters, including Orange County Animal Care (OCAC), restricted access. This study explores whether reopening kennels for public viewing helped increase adoptions, particularly for slow-track dogs.
What Changed at OCAC? Before 2020, OCAC allowed potential adopters to freely visit kennels. This changed with the pandemic, and even after restrictions lifted elsewhere, OCAC continued limiting access. Instead, they used an appointment-based system where adopters met dogs they identified online. In late 2023, OCAC briefly experimented with reopening some kennels for limited viewing, and in January 2024, they implemented a daily "Viewing Hours" program where about 40%-70% of adoptable dogs could be seen from 2 PM to 5 PM.
Key Findings: The study compared adoption data from 2019 to 2024 and found that allowing visitors to see the dogs in person significantly boosted adoption rates of slow-track dogs:
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Adoption counts during viewing sessions in 2024 were 40% higher than expected when compared to 2023, and 57% higher than expected when compared to 2022. These increases were statistically significant.
- Adoption rates (the percentage of the available dogs adopted per session) were consistently higher during viewing hours than non-viewing hours.
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In 2024, the adoption rate was 1.08% per viewing session but only 0.72% per non-viewing session.
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Looking at multiple years (excluding 2020 due to the pandemic), the average adoption rate during kennel viewing was 1.10%, compared to 0.74% when visitors could not see the dogs.
Why Does Kennel Viewing Matter? There are two main reasons why allowing visitors to see the dogs in person leads to more adoptions:
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More exposure, more chances – More people visit the shelter. They may not have a specific dog in mind but might fall in love with a dog they meet in person.
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Emotional connection – Some dogs may not stand out in online listings, especially if they are older, larger, or of certain breeds. Seeing a dog in person allows adopters to connect with them in ways that photos or descriptions cannot capture.
Conclusions & Future Considerations:
The study shows that reopening kennels for public viewing increases adoption rates, particularly for slow-track dogs. While appointments are still available, allowing walk-in visitors to see the dogs directly seems to improve their chances of adoption. Future research could explore additional factors, such as how kennel placement and visitor traffic flow impact adoption rates.
Ultimately, this research supports the idea that shelters should prioritize in-person interactions between adopters and dogs to maximize adoption success.
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