The length of time dogs spend in shelters profoundly affects their mental and physical health. Understanding and reducing length of stay is a critical animal welfare priority.
Extended kennelling causes progressive welfare deterioration in dogs. The initial stress response to shelter admission — elevated cortisol, hyperactivity, and anxiety — may partially habituate over time but is replaced by depression, learned helplessness, and stereotypic behaviours in many animals. Dogs that become increasingly difficult to handle due to kennel stress are paradoxically less likely to be adopted, trapping them in a cycle of deteriorating welfare. Early intervention through enrichment, training, foster programs, and targeted adoption promotion for at-risk groups is essential. The welfare cost of extended kennelling makes reducing length of stay one of the highest-impact interventions available to shelters.