The Association Blog

Modifying the behavior of visitors to your shelter can result in—yup, you guessed it—more adoptions

We talk a lot about modifying behavior of dogs and cats to increase their chances of adoption, but what about modifying the behavior of potential adopters? Consider trying these simple changes (if you’re not already doing them) and see if they make a difference:

Put the Paperwork Down (for now)

Don’t make folks fill anything out until they have had a chance to get a hand on a pet they’re interested in. Remember that you’re not the only game in town—and if you put up too many barriers (even if they’re paper), they may just leave if the reward (adoption—or even, in some cases, just getting to see the dogs and cats) feels too out of reach. Why not try allowing the interaction first? Those who make a bond will already have a furry motivation to sit through the paperwork.

Go Ahead, Make Them Do it

To increase the likelihood of someone adopting or keeping a new pet, don’t stop at telling and showing how to do things, like nail trims, stuffing a Kong or cleaning an ear—have the pet parent, potential or real, actually do it. This is because the human animal (and other animals, for that matter) learns best by doing. In fact, retention increases from 20% to 80% when we move from telling to doing.

If you’ve tried either of these tactics, let us know how it’s working out for you.