Forty-seven per cent of pet-owners are concerned that when normality returnsafter the pandemic there will be more homeless pets than ever.

The results were found in Mars Petcare’s first ever State of Pet HomelessnessIndex, which used data from over 200 global and local sources to produce theindex measuring pet homelessness.

Across the globe, there were common challenges in pet ownership includinglimitations on pet-friendly housing, with 55 per cent of respondents statingit is difficult to find dog-friendly rentals, and 44 per cent of cat ownersclaiming the same difficulties.

There was also found to be a negative perception of stray or shelter animals,as 50 per cent of prospective owners say they worry about a pet’s history ifadopted from a shelter, and one in four believe stray animals are more likelyto be aggressive.

Jeffery Flocken, President of Human Society International said he hopes thedata will be used by animal welfare organisations, pet professionals, andresearchers, to better understand the factors influencing pet homelessness andpoint towards the most impactful interventions.

“At Humane Society International, we are ultimately aiming to reduce the timecompanion animals spend in shelters before finding their forever homes andprevent them from being relinquished or abandoned –and this Index will informour ongoing efforts to do just that.”

Tagged: Mars petcare, pet homelessness

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