County-level shelter outcome profiles and length of stay among rescued stray and lost dogs in three rural counties of Korea

Abstract

This study compared the county-level shelter outcome profiles and length of stay among rescued stray and lost dogs in three rural counties of northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea: Yeongyang-gun, Cheongsong-gun, and Yeongdeok-gun. Administrative individual-case records collected from 2021 to 2025 were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 2,791 dog cases were analyzed, and the length of stay could be calculated for 289, 993, and 1,501 cases in Yeongyang-gun, Cheongsong-gun, and Yeongdeok-gun, respectively. The outcome profiles differed markedly. Yeongyang-gun had high adoption (51.0%), very low euthanasia (1.7%), and prolonged mean length of stay (161.36 ± 204.37 days). Cheongsong-gun had low adoption (11.3%), high euthanasia (70.9%), and shorter mean length of stay (36.61 ± 38.96 days). Yeongdeok-gun had low adoption (17.0%), high euthanasia (48.2%), a substantial natural-death proportion (27.2%), and a mean length of stay of 40.93 ± 34.78 days. The distribution of dispositions differed among counties (χ² = 644.88, p < 0.001), and the time to final shelter disposition also differed (log-rank χ² = 275.08, p < 0.001). In an adjustment analysis restricted to adoption and euthanasia cases, county-level differences persisted after accounting for sex, age group, breed category, and place of discovery. Puppies (odds ratio [OR], 3.35), purebred dogs (OR, 12.28), and dogs found in residential areas (OR, 1.62) had higher adoption odds (all p ≤ 0.009). These findings identified distinct county-level outcome profiles but did not establish the causal effects of shelter management. Future studies should directly evaluate shelter-level factors that may explain these differences.