Table 6.
Reasons for surrender organized according to human or dog related factors for 1876 dogs surrendered to RSPCA-QLD shelters in 2014 (a surrender reason was not recorded for 876 surrendered dogs, and therefore were not included in the analysis).
| Human/Dog Related Factor | Surrender Reason Category | Surrender Reason Sub Category | Total | Adult | Puppy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human | 86% (1615) | 78% (860) | 98% (755) | ||
| Unwanted | Total-Unwanted | 40% (751) | 20% (221) | 69% (530) | |
| Proportion of total surrendered as “unwanted” | Too many | 63% (473) | 21% (46) | 81% (427) | |
| Poor decision | 15% (116) | 41% (91) | 5% (25) | ||
| Unspecified | 4% (31) | 12% (26) | 1% (5) | ||
| Other | 17% (131) | 26% (58) | 14% (73) | ||
| Changed circumstances | Total-Changed circumstances | 20% (373) | 29% (326) | 6% (47) | |
| Proportion of total surrendered for “changed circumstances” | Moving/Travelling | 61% (227) | 60% (194) | 70% (33) | |
| Household dynamic | 23% (85) | 24% (79) | 13% (6) | ||
| New Baby | 5% (17) | 5% (16) | 2% (1) | ||
| Unspecified | 12% (44) | 11% (37) | 15% (7) | ||
| Financial | 16% (304) | 14% (152) | 20% (152) | ||
| Accommodation | Total-Accommodation | 5% (100) | 7% (83) | 2% (17) | |
| Proportion of total surrendered for “Accommodation” reasons | Landlord will not allow 1 | 60% (60) | 59% (49) | 65% (11) | |
| Yard too Small | 15% (15) | 14% (12) | 18% (3) | ||
| Property unsuitable | 14% (14) | 13% (11) | 18% (3) | ||
| Owner in care | 8% (8) | 10% (8) | 0% (0) | ||
| Acquired without consent of household/landlord 2 | 3% (3) | 4% (3) | 0% (0) | ||
| Owner Health | Total-Owner Health | 5% (86) | 7% (77) | 1% (9) | |
| Proportion of total surrendered due to “Owner Health” | Owner Ill | 66% (57) | 65% (50) | 78% (7) | |
| Owner Deceased | 20% (17) | 22% (17) | 0% (0) | ||
| Owner Allergic | 14% (12) | 13% (10) | 22% (2) | ||
| Commercial 3 | <1% (1) | <1% (1) | 0% (0) | ||
| Dog | 14% (257) | 22% (245) | 2% (12) | ||
| Behavior | Total-Behavior | 13% (250) | 22% (239) | 1% (11) | |
| Proportion of total surrendered due to “Behavior” | Escaping | 20% (49) | 20% (48) | 9% (1) | |
| Aggression-Animal | 17% (42) | 16% (39) | 27% (3) | ||
| Aggressive-People | 13% (32) | 13% (30) | 18% (2) | ||
| Aggressive-Human or Animal | 2% (4) | 2% (4) | 0% (0) | ||
| Predatory behavior | 4% (10) | 4% (9) | 9% (1) | ||
| Boisterous | 18% (45) | 18% (44) | 9% (1) | ||
| Barking | 6% (14) | 5% (13) | 9% (1) | ||
| Destructive | 4% (10) | 4% (10) | 0% (0) | ||
| Fear | 4% (9) | 3% (7) | 18% (2) | ||
| Inappropriate toileting | 1% (3) | 1% (3) | 0% (0) | ||
| Other | 13% (32) | 13% (32) | 0% (0) | ||
| Dog size | <1% (6) | 1% (6) | 0% (0) | ||
| Dog Health | <1% (1) | 0% (0) | <1% (1) | ||
| Other | <1% (4) | <1% (4) | 0% (0) | ||
| Total dogs surrendered | 100% (1876) | 59% (1109) | 41% (767) | ||
1 Assumed to be relinquished prior to tenancy. 2 Assumed to be relinquished after start of tenancy. 3. Dog was described as “no good for racing”, see Supplementary Materials, Table S2.