Post Adoption Welfare Study (PAWS)
Our longitudinal cohort study following adopted dogs throughout their lives.
Photographer: Scarlett Brophy
Researchers: Dr Emma Buckland (project lead), Rosie Walkley, Dr Rachel Casey
Past contributors: Joshua Woodward, Carys Williams, Dr Eleanor Jordan, Kassandra Giragosian, Rosa Da Costa, Dr Lauren Samet.
Project background and summary
Adopting a dog is an exciting and rewarding adventure. Adopters want to provide the best care, but at times, introducing a new dog into your home can be stressful for both the dog and the family as they adjust to living together in harmony.
Long-term studies about dog welfare are rare and incredibly powerful for studying how things like dog behaviour may change over time. At Dogs Trust, we have a unique opportunity to team up with our amazing adopters to better understand the ups and downs of dog ownership, and to learn more about the behaviour, health, and welfare of adopted dogs.
The Post Adoption Welfare Study (PAWS) is designed to gather data that helps us better understand the post-adoption experiences of adopters and their dogs over time. Launched in 2020, the study uses a series of online surveys that track behaviour, training, health, and lifestyle over time, while also exploring adopters’ experiences of rehoming and their use of support services. The information we collect helps us to understand what makes adoptions go smoothly and where challenges may arise, so we can give dogs the best chance of staying happy in their new homes.
Research impact
We believe it is important to share findings from our research widely – including with our supporters, those working in the rehoming sector, and the public so we can all learn from the valuable insights of our research. The findings from this research will help us in our endeavour to improve rehoming and post adoption support practises across the sector and help to understand how we can best help adopters and their dogs. The findings of the Post Adoption Welfare Study will be reported in open-access peer-reviewed scientific journals, as oral and poster communications at scientific meetings, in magazines aimed at dog owners and through newsletters that will be circulated to supporters of Dogs Trust.
Get involved
New adopters can opt to take part in the study at the time of adopting their dog. You will receive details on how to log in to your personalised dashboard to access your surveys. There are three short surveys available within the first few days after adoption – these are mandatory to continue participation in the study. Then, there are four surveys during the first year of adoption followed by an annual survey – each of these is optional and adopters are sent a reminder to complete them.
Information provided through the PAWS surveys are treated in the strictest confidence. Any sensitive information, including names and email addresses will be stored in an encrypted form, and no individual dogs or owners will be identifiable from research outputs.
If you have any questions about the study, please contact the Post Adoption team.
Research outputs
Publications
2021
The below abstract has been accepted as a poster presentation at UFAW 2021.
2020
Abstract investigating the change in five owner-reported behaviours of concern between 2 days and 14 days of adoption presented at the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) 2020 conference.
Abstract exploring the factors associated with advice acceptance in our post adoption support calls presented at the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2020 conference.
2019
Abstract to describe new strategies and an evaluation of canine post adoption support presented at the Pan Commonwealth Veterinary Conference (PCVC) in 2019.
Abstract describing owner-reported behaviours of concern in the first 2-5 days of adoption presented at the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA) 2019 conference.
2023
Watch the FABC Webinar: Why do people adopt dogs.
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