Employee Reactions and Adjustment to Euthanasia-Related Work: Identifying Turning-Point Events through Retrospective Narratives

Charlie L. Reeve and Lisa Schultz
Purdue University

Christiane Spitzmüller
University of Houston

Steven G. Rogelberg
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Alan Walker and Olga Clark
Bowling Green State University

The current study used a retrospective narrative procedure to examine the critical events that influence reactions and adjustment to euthanasia-related work of 35 employees who have stayed in the nonhuman animal care and welfare field for at least 2 years. The study analyzed adjustment trajectory graphs and interview notes to identify "turning-point events" that spurred either a positive or a negative change in shelter workers' psychological well-being. Analysis of the identified turning-point events revealed 10 common event themes that have implications for a range of work, personnel, and organizational practices. The paper discusses implications for shelter, employee, and animal welfare.
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What Happens to Shelter Dogs? An Analysis of Data for One Year from Three Australian Shelters

Linda C. Marston, Pauleen C. Bennett, and Grahame J. Coleman
Monash University
Victoria, Australia

Annually, welfare shelters admit many dogs, dogs whose caregivers (owners) surrender them or dogs who are strays. This paper analyzes admission data from three metropolitan Australian shelters. The study collected data for a 1-year period and analyzed them to identify the characteristics of the typical shelter dog, patterns of relinquishment, sales, reclamation and euthanasia; duration of stay and reasons underlying euthanasia, relinquishment, and post-adoptive return. The study tracked more than 20,000 admissions during this period. To facilitate reclamation, the local Code of Practice requires a mandatory holding period for stray dogs; assessment for suitability for re-homing then occurs. Dogs failing the assessment are euthanized. Surrendered dogs can be assessed immediately. The Code of Practice also recommends that unsold dogs be euthanized 28 days post assessment. Typically, shelter dogs in Melbourne are strays, sexually entire, adult, small, and--usually--male. The majority of admissions are reclaimed or sold. Most reclamations occur within four days, and post-adoptive return rates are low. That current de-sexing messages do not appear to have reached the owners of stray dogs to the same extent as they have other dog owners is a major finding, suggesting that a targeted education campaign may be required.
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Some Preliminary Evidence of the Social Facilitation of Mounting Behavior in a Juvenile Bull Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus)

Paul A. Rees
University of Salford
Salford, United Kingdom

This study recorded sexual behavior within a captive herd of 10 Asian elephants for approximately 230 hours on 50 days over a period of 10 months. The study observed a single adult and a single juvenile bull mounting cows more than 160 times. When the juvenile bull was between 4 years 2 months and 4 years 8 months old, he exhibited mounting behavior only on days when adult mounting occurred. Adult mounting always occurred first. Beyond the age of 4 years 8 months, the juvenile bull exhibited spontaneous mounting behavior in the absence of adult mounting. This suggests that mounting behavior may develop because of social facilitation. Determining the significance of the presence of sexually active adults in the normal development of sexual behavior in juveniles will require further studies. Encouraging the establishment of larger captive herds containing adults and calves of both sexes--if their presence is important--would improve the welfare of elephants in zoos and increase their potential conservation value.
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A Close Keeper-Nonhuman Animal Distance Does Not Reduce Undesirable Behavior in Contact Yard Goats and Sheep

Ursula S. Anderson and Terry Maple
Zoo Atlanta

Mollie Bloomsmith
Yerkes National Primate Center

This study investigated the relation between zookeeper-nonhuman animal distance and undesirable behavior goats and sheep exhibited toward visitors of Zoo Atlanta's contact yard. It hypothesized that a close distance between keeper and animal would be associated with a lower rate of undesirable behavior than would a distant keeper-animal distance. The study recorded rate of undesirable behavior exhibited, number of visitors in the yard, and number of times visitors touched an animal under (a) near and (b) distant keeper-animal distances. Seven African pygmy goats (Capra hircus) and four Romanov sheep (Ovis aries) were the subjects. The study used linear regression methods to analyze approximately 48 hours of behavioral data collected using a focal sampling technique. Findings indicated a familiar animal keeper nearby was not associated with lower rates of undesirable behavior toward visitors. Higher rates of undesirable behavior occurred when keepers were nearby than when they were distant. The study also found that undesirable behavior increased as visitors' touching animals increased. Applying the study's findings may improve human-animal interactions and increase animal well-being in a contact yard through animal management techniques.
 

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