Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 195

Knowing pet ownership trends in the community, including ownership rates, general demographics of pets and owners, and community animal populations, is important for program development. National or local surveys about pet ownership are good sources with which to start (American Pet Products Association [APPA] 2017; American Veterinary Medical Association [AVMA] n.d.). Municipal licensing records, shelter intake data, veterinary patient data, pet food/supply store locations and sales, and grocery and convenience store sales of pet food and supplies, as well as other market research, are also useful sources of this information. New research assessing pet ownership trends may be necessary, so organizations should consider conducting their own surveys, polls, interviews, and focus groups. Ultimately, any organization planning to offer safety net programs will need an understanding of pet ownership trends in the communities they support. A model built on archival and direct research with community constituents will yield powerful insights an organization can use when planning safety net programs.