A Novel Approach to Engaging Communities Through the Use of Human Behaviour Change Models to Improve Companion Animal Welfare and Reduce Relinquishment

Experts consider tackling companion animal ownership problems, such as delayed veterinary treatment and a lack of appropriate care provision, to be key in striving towards improved animal welfare. Additionally, every year, millions of companion animals are relinquished to rescue centres globally; a process that can be distressing for both people and animals. By adapting traditional shelter model activity, it is possible to develop proactive community interventions to provide support for companion animal owners prior to crisis points and therefore, prevent suffering. This case report shares a novel approach to improving companion animal welfare and reducing avoidable relinquishment in communities. As part of a three-stage process, a mixed-method approach was applied to build an understanding of the needs of owners of potentially vulnerable companion animals in the target community. The research stages revealed that the lack of timely veterinary treatment for pets within the target community represented a welfare concern. Based upon this understanding, a co-creation approach was deployed to design targeted interventions to improve companion animal welfare in the community through the application of human behaviour change theories. The process revealed the operational effectiveness of a co-creation approach to intervention design in the context of improving animal welfare. This novel approach has demonstrated significant value in addressing the needs of pet-owning communities.