Adoption Preferences of Greek Citizens in Stray Dogs: The Role of Morphological Characteristics

A critical aspect of addressing the stray dog population issue in Greece involves the investigation of the likelihood of dog adoptions based on morphological traits. Recent statistics indicate that 43% of Greek households own at least one companion animal. This study aimed to explore some of the factors influencing the decision to adopt a stray and the morphological traits that are preferred by the adopters. To undertake this research, data spanning four years (2019-2022) were used; the data comprised information on 858 adoptions from a Greek animal welfare organization on the Island of Lesvos in the Aegean Sea. The analysis revealed that younger age, smaller size, and tan or tricolor coats were associated with faster adoption rates. In addition, when comparing the data of all four years (2019-2022), the year of adoption was found to be a statistically significant variable, which confirms that Greeks also followed the international trend of increased adoptions during the Covid-19 pandemic.