Research on Attitudes Towards Factors which Contribute to Suitability for Keeping a Pet

By researchers: Sharon-Chou, Oliver Wang, Larissa Kuo, Ron Liu

This research team decided to investigate the topic of attitudes towards factors which contribute to suitability for keeping a pet because we think that many dogs become strays because the owner has not thought about whether they have the ability to keep a dog. If they have no ability to take care of a dog but then adopt/buy dogs, they may throw them on the streets and abandon them. Therefore we think that we should research this topic, share the information, and give suggestions to policy makers about the conditions which should be met in order to reasonably be able to adopt or buy a dog. This research will study and rank the different factors which people feel are important to consider when deciding if a potential owner has the ability to keep a pet. This research group will hypothesize about the thinking behind these considerations. Finally, we will offer suggestions to help the general public in their decision making process.

This research team conducted face to face interviews using a set questionnaire. The subjects consisted of a total of 47 people. The team conducted a pre-research step in which we identified the possible factors that the general public agrees are important to consider when getting a pet. A total of 5 main factors were identified. These 5 factors were then used as the response items in our research questionnaire

What different factors do you feel a person needs to consider when deciding if they have the ability to keep a pet?

When we consider whether a person has the ability to keep pets, rank the importance of the following items in this decision making process: (1~5 most important to least important)

_ _ _Economic ability for the owner

_ _ _Activity space size for the pet

_ _ _The living environment is tidy/ clean for the pet

_ _ _Time spending on pets

_ _ _The personality of the owner

The numbers show us that a large number of men think that personality is the least important factor out of the 5 choices when thinking about suitability to have a pet. This research team feels that this may be because they didn’t think of the consequences that would happen if the owner does not have a good personality fit with the potential pet. This factor is important to consider because a poor personality fit may result in difficulty in matching the lifestyle needs and habits of the owner and dog.

This may be because when people think about a dog, they think that a dog is a follower and they should do everything that the owner tells them to do. But this is wrong because dogs are animals like us and they don’t know the owner's thinking and wishes. Therefore, we suggest that potential owners. should consider if there is a personality match between themselves and the dog's personality. This may be especially important for men to consider, as the results show that men often don’t give enough emphasis to this factor.

More men than women picked time as their most important factor . This may be because they think about this issue in a similar way that they think about their wife/girlfriend. For example, men may think even if work is hard they still have to make time for their wives or girlfriends. It may be the same when thinking about dogs.This idea may seem old fashioned but it is the belief of this research group. If you don’t have the time for your girlfriend then that means you don't have enough time for your dog. Girlfriends/wives can break up with you but dogs can't, which means they have less options. That also means they have no freedom of choice in this situation. We suggest that women should think more like men with regards to this factor so that you can make sure that you have time for your pet before bringing it home.

More men picked “space” as their most important factor over women. This might be because lots of men are bigger in size in general so they think they need a lot of space. Therefore, they empathize with the dog and think that they need a lot of space too. Dogs also need space to live and run around just like kids. Since dogs are like kids and they need space to run around, this group suggests that before looking for a dog potential owners should make sure that they have the right environment, especially space. However when looking at the numbers, space is consistently a factor which is under-considered with only 5% of women and 8.3% of men choosing it as the most important factor. It would be a good idea for potential owners and organizations in charge of animal shelters to consider this factor when deciding the suitability of owning a pet.

What this group suggests is that people look more closely at what environment they have and if they have the right resources for getting a dog, and most of all taking care of a dog. Factors that people don’t spend enough care on are space, cleanliness, and personality fit. The information from this research may be useful for charity and nonprofits who attempt to help homeless animals find new families. The factors that this research has uncovered as under-emphasized should be given more thought and care when matching dogs to potential owners. We would also like to talk with the policy makers to set up regulations to prevent people that don’t have the ability to take care of a pet to make sure they will not be given a dog until they are able to meet basic requirements. . Even though this might be a small change, this could help a lot of animals even if it's just one. Keeping a pet is a great responsibility, and every life must be taken seriously.