Evidence-based work to improve pet reunification outcomes, strengthen community resilience, and advance transparent documentation.
Research
We publish conservative, verifiable research that supports charitable programs and informs policy. Where data is preliminary, we say so.
Research Brief
A systemic analysis of companion animal displacement, recovery failures, and the reunification gap
The displacement of an estimated 5.8 to 6.5 million dogs and cats annually represents a catastrophic failure of the animal welfare infrastructure. This is not merely a private family misfortune—it is a reunification crisis driven by fragmented data systems, inconsistent legislative frameworks, and socio-economic inequity.
Five states—Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama—account for more than 50% of all shelter euthanasia in the United States. Texas alone accounts for over 61,000 animal deaths annually.
Research from Dallas Animal Services found that 70% of stray dogs are found less than one mile from home, and 42% are found less than 400 feet away. These animals aren't truly "lost"—they're circulating in their own neighborhoods.
In Los Angeles County, the rise in shelter intake is explicitly linked to housing insecurity and the loss of pet-friendly housing. Many "strays" are actually victims of economic displacement, not wandering.
Research on "ambiguous loss" shows that 84% of pet owners experience false recognition—hallucinating the sight or sound of their missing animal. The psychological toll rivals the loss of a family member.
Desperate owners spend $500 to $3,000+ on recovery services. This vulnerability has spawned predatory scams: the "Google Voice" identity theft scheme and "Flight Nanny" advance-fee fraud target grieving pet owners within minutes of posting.
Up to 89% of DV survivors report their abuser threatened or harmed their pet. Only 12-15% of DV shelters can accommodate pets, and 50% of survivors refuse to leave without their animal.
Research Brief
Microchip efficacy, registry fragmentation, and the data integrity crisis
The microchip promised a permanent digital link between pet and guardian. Decades later, that promise remains only partially fulfilled. The technology works—but the data ecosystem is fractured. When registries fail, phones change, or databases don't talk to each other, the chip becomes a digital dead end.
2.4× more likely to be reunited
20× more likely to be reunited
Source: Lord et al., Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
When reunification fails for a microchipped pet, the cause is almost never hardware failure. It's data failure.
In Israel, where a single government-run database exists, the dog reunification rate is 67%. In the fragmented U.S. market with competing private registries, rates hover between 13-19%. The 50-point gap is a testament to the power of friction reduction.
Research Brief
A 50-jurisdiction statutory analysis of impoundment, holding periods, and owner rights
Geography is destiny for lost pets in America. A dog impounded in Hawaii faces a 48-hour window. A dog in California enjoys 6 business days. The difference between "three days" and "72 hours" can be the difference between life and death.
States using business days (California, Utah, Minnesota) give owners effectively more than a calendar week. States using calendar days keep the clock running through weekends when shelters may be closed.
Home Rule states (West, Midwest) allow local flexibility for extended holds. Dillon's Rule states (South, Mid-Atlantic) require strict adherence to state mandates—a shelter cannot extend a hold even during a disaster without enabling legislation.
Even when owners locate their pet in time, mandatory sterilization fees and accrued boarding costs function as de facto forfeiture mechanisms. In some jurisdictions, costs exceed $500 within days.
Research Brief
How incentive design, gamification, and social accountability drive preventive behavior
Traditional public health campaigns assume that if people have accurate information, they will logically change behavior. This "information deficit model" has repeatedly failed. Behavioral economics offers a different approach: bridge the gap between immediate costs and distant benefits through smart incentive design.
A $50 voucher today is more motivating than a $500 reduction in future costs. Small, immediate rewards consistently outperform large, deferred benefits.
The pain of losing is twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. "Deposit contracts" where participants risk their own money drive 3.5× more weight loss than control groups.
Being told you would have won had you participated is more motivating than the hope of winning. Regret lotteries are "vastly more cost effective" than standard drawings.
Shared incentives beat individual rewards. A "shared pot" seatbelt program achieved 91.3% participation vs. 88% for individual lotteries—and the effect persisted after incentives ended.
The BE ACTIVE randomized clinical trial tested combinations of gamification and financial incentives for increasing physical activity:
Gamification alone was highly cost-effective (<$50K/QALY). Pure financial incentives were "dominated" by other arms in cost-effectiveness analysis.
Additional Research
A forensic framework for establishing missing pet recovery metrics in data-scarce environments. Introduces "Digital Archaeology" methodology for reconstructing baselines from dispatch logs and shelter software.
Read reportMaster data specification for all 55 West Virginia counties covering Sheriff's departments, animal control agencies, and veteran services. Maps the heterogeneous landscape of sworn officers, contracted nonprofits, and default enforcement models.
Read reportIf you represent an academic institution, municipal agency, or nonprofit organization and want to collaborate on evidence-based animal welfare research, we welcome the conversation.
Contact Us