Animal shelters provide temporary housing for dogs awaiting rehoming and the welfare quality of shelter environments significantly affects behavioural outcomes and adoption success.
Dog shelter welfare encompasses both physical and psychological needs. Traditional kennel environments cause chronic stress from noise, limited social interaction, restricted movement and loss of predictability. Even well-resourced kennels cannot fully compensate for the welfare costs of confinement. Progressive shelters have transformed practice through foster care networks, enriched environments and reduced length of stay. The adoption experience itself represents a welfare transition requiring careful management.