Farewell to Fido: Pet Owners’ Commitment and Relinquishment of Companion Animals

摘要

The current research predicts commitment and relinquishment of companion animals by applying psychological theory on close relationships. In this novel application to pet owners in general (Study 1) and dog owners specifically (Study 2), commitment and relinquishment intentions were predicted to be a function of owner satisfaction, investment size, and quality of alternative animals. In both studies, pet owners reported their commitment to their animal, satisfaction, investment size, quality of alternative animals, as well as relinquishment intentions. Study 1 revealed that commitment was related to satisfaction and investment size, but not quality of alternative animals. Study 2 revealed that dog owners’ commitment and relinquishment intentions were related to satisfaction, investment size, and quality of alternatives. Implications for animal welfare are discussed.