Behavior of Shelter Animals

Dear Colleagues, 

Each year animal shelters receive, care for, and rehome dogs, cats, and other animals. Even under the best of circumstances, however, shelters can be challenging environments for the animals that enter them. Often, many animals are housed in close proximity in unfamiliar locations, sometimes with limited space and, typically, high noise levels. Additionally, shelter animals interact with many unfamiliar people and experience a lack of predictability and control in their daily lives. Some animals enter shelters with behavioral problems while others may develop or display problematic behaviors as a result of shelter experiences.

In recent years, efforts have been made to reduce the stress experienced by shelter animals and to enrich their environments and daily lives. Efforts also have focused on evaluating behaviors and ideally modifying any behaviors that might make rehoming difficult. New research is now available on the effects of shelter environments on the behavior of resident animals and the effectiveness of shelter programs aimed at reducing stress and providing enrichment. Critical reviews also are available on the usefulness of behavioral evaluations.

This Special Issue, Behavior of Shelter Animals, will focus on behavior of animals while they are either in shelter environments or adoptive homes. The goal is to provide information that will inform shelter programs and policies. I invite original research articles, critical reviews, and commentaries on topics such as efforts to reduce stress during sheltering, behavioral responses to enrichment, behavioral evaluations, individual differences in behavior, and behavioral issues such as resource guarding. Articles on dogs, cats, and other animals housed in shelters are welcome.

Dr. Betty McGuire
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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