Peter Drucker, whom many regard as the greatest management thinker of all time, once wrote, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” This captures the essence of a study that had the goal of compiling a methodologically sound estimate of the annual number of dog admissions in Australian shelters and pounds. The study also aimed to quantify what happened to the dogs (i.e., outcomes). The study team’s express purpose was to provide a starting point for Australia to benchmark its dog management policies and performance against comparable countries. It was also to evaluate strategies for improving the management and outcomes of stray and surrendered dogs.

Focusing on the fiscal year 2012–2013, the team contacted all municipal animal control agencies and many private rescue groups. Not all municipal councils provided complete data. And the team had to attribute numbers based on pooled data from other councils in the same state or territory. As they lacked resources to contact all private rescue groups, the researchers extrapolated figures for some rescue groups from the available numbers.

The project’s overall tallies put Australia between the U.S. and the U.K. in dog admissions and outcomes. There were an estimated 9.3 dog admissions per 1,000 human residents (211,655 admissions) for the year 2012–2013. This rate compares favorably to the U.S. (about 12.5 dogs per 1000 residents). There is no reliable estimate of total admissions in the U.K.

Australia’s euthanasia rate in 2012–2013 (21% of admissions) appears to be lower than the rate in the U.S. (a recent estimate for 2016 was 31%, not including foster-based rescue groups). The best available study from the U.K. estimates that 10% of admissions into animal welfare organizations ended in euthanasia. And this figure is at 6% for municipal pounds.

Putting these data together allowed the researchers to do initial analyses of relationships between dog admissions and characteristics of states and councils (urban vs. rural, income per person, etc.), and between dog admissions and type of agency (municipal council pound vs. welfare agency). The team also laid out the types of improvement strategy they believe people should evaluate for effectiveness. They include spay/neuter programs; tag/microchip; fence repair; behavioral counseling; training classes; assistance with costs; boarding and/or food; and advocacy against no-pet policies in rental properties.

The team advocates for data collection to be mandated and implemented at the state level. This would enable comprehensive and meaningful shelter and pound data to be available quickly to those wanting to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to decrease dog admissions and improve outcomes.