Impacts of Social Enrichment on Shelter Operations and Canine Welfare
Abstract
~2,000,000 dogs are adopted from shelters each year; many have long and stressful residencies and ~10% are returned after adoptions for behavioral or other complications. Social enrichment programs aim to reduce shelter residencies and improve adoption placement success by providing stress-reducing social enrichment to resident animals. In this study, we test whether these programs measurably impact stress biomarkers in dogs, and whether they result in more rapid or successful adoption outcomes. We will use public data from Broward County Shelter (including the focal dogs’ in-shelter enrichment regimes), to test our hypothesis that enrichment expedites adoption and/or increases the likelihood of successful placements in adoptive homes. Additionally, mtDNA copy number relative to nuclear DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) will be used to measure stress levels in shelter dogs that receive varying levels of social enrichment (vs. ‘no-enrichment’ controls). To facilitate mtDNAcn quantification, we have reviewed the literature and public genomic datasets to 1) identify and develop primers for evolutionarily-conserved, single-copy loci within the canine mitochondrial genome (MT-ND5) and nuclear genome (PDK1) for qPCR quantification at NSU, and 2) develop non-invasive protocols for sampling oral mtDNAcn from focal animals at the Broward County Shelter. Pending ICAUC approval, we will also present validation of our method for quantifying mtDNAcn and estimate within- and between-animal variance in this emerging stress biomarker. Our studies will provide insight to the potential benefits of expanding enrichment programs in shelters, and also the first-ever evaluation of mtDNAcn as a prospective stress biomarker in domesticated dogs.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Eben Gering
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-5-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
4-6-2023 4:00 PM
Impacts of Social Enrichment on Shelter Operations and Canine Welfare
Alvin Sherman Library
~2,000,000 dogs are adopted from shelters each year; many have long and stressful residencies and ~10% are returned after adoptions for behavioral or other complications. Social enrichment programs aim to reduce shelter residencies and improve adoption placement success by providing stress-reducing social enrichment to resident animals. In this study, we test whether these programs measurably impact stress biomarkers in dogs, and whether they result in more rapid or successful adoption outcomes. We will use public data from Broward County Shelter (including the focal dogs’ in-shelter enrichment regimes), to test our hypothesis that enrichment expedites adoption and/or increases the likelihood of successful placements in adoptive homes. Additionally, mtDNA copy number relative to nuclear DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) will be used to measure stress levels in shelter dogs that receive varying levels of social enrichment (vs. ‘no-enrichment’ controls). To facilitate mtDNAcn quantification, we have reviewed the literature and public genomic datasets to 1) identify and develop primers for evolutionarily-conserved, single-copy loci within the canine mitochondrial genome (MT-ND5) and nuclear genome (PDK1) for qPCR quantification at NSU, and 2) develop non-invasive protocols for sampling oral mtDNAcn from focal animals at the Broward County Shelter. Pending ICAUC approval, we will also present validation of our method for quantifying mtDNAcn and estimate within- and between-animal variance in this emerging stress biomarker. Our studies will provide insight to the potential benefits of expanding enrichment programs in shelters, and also the first-ever evaluation of mtDNAcn as a prospective stress biomarker in domesticated dogs.
