Offering Incentives For Adoptions; Great Idea or Potential Disaster?

Lately I've been hearing about shelters offering incentives to staff and volunteers based on the number of adoptions they make.  Could this be a great way to find homes for more shelter animals, or would it foster unhealthy competition among shelter workers?

Here's my take on it.  As a shelter volunteer my main role is adoption counseling.  READ: Adoption Counseling.  I endeavor to make a good match between a homeless dog or cat and a potential adopter. It doesn't need to be the most perfect match, I'm not sure perfect matches even exist.  But a good match, a responsible match, can and should be made for the good of the animal and the adopter.

Isis playing ball.  Believe me, Siberian Huskies are NOT for everyone! The few times we've had them at the shelter, I've thoroughly discussed the challenges with potential adopters!

Personally, I don't need "incentives" to do the right thing by the cats and dogs in my care.  I worry that if incentives are offered based on the number of adoptions made, some shelter staff or volunteers will feel compelled to become pushy with adopters in an attempt to rack up adoptions.  In doing so they may lose site of the need to make a good match between pet and adopter.  Pet adoption should not be about pushing dogs and cats out the door like cattle.  The attributes and lifestyle needs of both the animal and the potential adopter should be considered.

Shelters are increasingly under pressure from the communities they serve to increase adoptions and eliminate euthanasia.  These are worthy goals, but when shelters start thinking about finding homes for the animals in their care as largely a numbers game it concerns me.  If a shelter Director pulls her staff and volunteers together for a meeting and talks about how she wants everyone to increase their weekly adoptions, then offers incentives for doing so, that is worrisome.  What's  next, adoption quotas?  Doesn't it remind you of the sleazy used car salesman cliché?

Phoebe doing her movie star pose.  I adopted her from the shelter I volunteer at.  If an adopter is looking for a dog to go running with, lazy Phoebe would NOT be a good choice!

Poor adoption matches are likely to result in more pets being returned.  In my experience, once the Kennel card shows "Returned" as an animal's status, it often frightens people away.  They assume the dog or cat was returned to the shelter because of some horrible infraction they must have committed in their new home.   In addition, making a poor adoption match can cause a shelter to lose that person's trust.  If you lose their trust you lose them as a supporter of the shelter and as a future adopter.  One bad adoption experience will travel far by word of mouth.  Add social media to that and it will travel exponentially further and could damage the positive public opinion a shelter worked hard to earn.

This gorgeous, friendly dog was Big, Powerful, and super Energetic!  He'd be a great dog for many individuals or families, but may not be the best choice for every lifestyle.

As for me, I would not agree to play a numbers game.  The canine and feline lives entrusted to us are far too precious to let statistics get in the way of finding them a good, loving home.  The right home.

What is your opinion on shelters offering incentives to staff or volunteers based on the number of adoptions they make?  Has anyone experienced this type of model in a shelter or rescue, and if so what was the impact on adoptions, returns, and public opinion?  Please leave a comment and weigh in on this concept, I'd like to know what you all think!

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