Optimizing the operation of animal shelters to minimize unnecessary euthanasia: A case study in the Seoul capital area

Abstract

To build a sustainable social system in the future, the promotion of animal welfare, as well as human welfare, is essential. In this study, we address the issues related to animal euthanasia that are commonly encountered in animal shelters. Many animals entering an animal shelter are euthanized in shelters due to the lack of physical facilities, and new strategies are needed to reduce such euthanasia. For this purpose, we show that it is possible to reduce euthanasia numbers by utilizing the space resources of the animal shelters efficiently and by sharing these space resources appropriately among shelters. To achieve this, we propose mathematical optimization models that determine operational schedules of given shelters with the objective of minimizing euthanasia rates. To demonstrate the superiority of our approaches, we conducted a case study at the animal shelters in the Seoul capital area. Through the case study, we show that operating schedules obtained from our model can reduce euthanasia significantly, 30% on average, due to the efficient utilization of facility space in the shelters. We demonstrate that our approaches can have a high impact on improving animal welfare in shelters if they are properly combined with strategies encouraging adoptions.