Association of Socioeconomic Status and Reasons for Companion Animal Relinquishment.

Simple Summary: Companion animals continue to be relinquished by their guardians to shelters. Historically, animal behavior has been seen as the main cause for companion animals to be relinquished. Therefore, we wanted to understand whether companion animals are relinquished due to issues related to the animal themselves or due to challenges in the companion animal's guardian's life. Previous research indicates that socioeconomic difficulties of the guardian, such as financial constraints and inadequate housing, contribute to companion animal relinquishment. Relinquishment data are crucial for a better understanding of how socioeconomic factors intersect with the care of companion animals. This study analyzed relinquishment data from five Australian shelters over the period of Australian Financial Years (FY July 1 to June 30) 2018/19 to 2022/23 and analyzed data on the 46,820 companion animals relinquished. The most common reason for relinquishment was housing for both low and high socioeconomic groups. Financial constraints were reported more in lower socioeconomic groups, whereas healthcare of the human as a reason for relinquishment was greater in the higher socioeconomic groups. This highlights the need for comprehensive, cross-disciplinary strategies that address both human and animal welfare needs holistically. Such integrated approaches can improve outcomes for companion animals and their human caregivers by addressing the underlying socioeconomic factors affecting their well-being. It is important to understand the reasons for companion animal relinquishment to help reduce the financial and ethical problems arising from too many dogs and cats in shelters. This study investigates the socioeconomic factors and reasons behind companion animal relinquishment in Australia, utilizing data from five animal shelters, over a five-year period (Financial Year 2018/19 to 2022/23). Descriptive statistics reveal that the median Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) decile of companion animal guardians who relinquished their companion animal was decile 4 out of 10, indicating that they live in areas of lower-than-average socioeconomic status. Cats accounted for 59.4% and dogs for 40.6% of all relinquishments, with more relinquishments from lower socioeconomic deciles (1–5) (cats: 62.6%, dogs: 65.8%). The median age of relinquished cats was 5 months and dogs 16 months, with human factor-related issues (e.g., Housing, Financial Constraints, Human Healthcare) cited in 86% of cases. Descriptive analysis for the five financial years shows a declining trend in numbers of relinquishments, with housing issues (31.2%) identified as the primary reason, followed by ownership decisions (16.2%), financial constraints (11.2%), and human health issues (10.4%). Comparing the reasons for relinquishment between lower (decile 1–5) and higher (decile 6–10) socioeconomic status demonstrated that financial difficulties were a more common reason in lower vs. higher socioeconomic groups, while human health and family-related issues are more common in higher vs. lower socioeconomic groups. These findings highlight the critical role of socioeconomic factors in understanding why people relinquish their companion animals, which can inform targeted interventions to support companion animal welfare across different socioeconomic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]