About this dataset

Do you want to help a dog in need? This dataset contains information on over 3,000 adoptable dogs across the United States. By understanding patterns of dog movement and relocation, we can help these animals find their forever homes.

The data includes information on the origin of each dog, as well as the state they are currently listed for adoption in. This can be used to understand patterns of dog movement across the country, and how different states rely on imported dogs for adoption.

There are several things to keep in mind when using this dataset: - The data represents a single day of data. It is possible that patterns have changed since then. - The data only includes adoptable dogs that were listed on PetFinder.com

How to use the dataset

This dataset of adoptable dogs in the US was collected to better understand how animals are relocated from state to state and imported from outside the US. The data includes information on over 3,000 dogs that were described as having originated in places different from where they were listed for adoption. The findings were published in a visual essay on The Pudding entitled Finding Forever Homes published in October 2019.

This dataset is a snapshot of data collected on a single day and does not include all adoptable dogs in the US. However, it provides valuable insights into the whereabouts of these animals and the journey they take to find their forever homes

So, how should you use it?

This dataset is a great resource for understanding how adoptable dogs are relocated from state to state and imported into the US. The data provides information on the origin of each dog, as well as the state they are currently listed for adoption in. This can be used to understand patterns of dog movement across the country, and how different states rely on imported dogs for adoption.

Research Ideas

• Finding out how many of each type and breed of dog are brought into shelters across the USA in a given year.
• Seeing which states have the most imports of dogs and what breeds/types those are.
• Determining if there are any trends in the types/breeds of dogs being brought into shelters (e.g. more pit bulls than golden retrievers)

Columns

File: dogTravel.csv | Column name | Description | |:------------------|:---------------------------------------------------------------------| | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | found | The date the animal was found. (Date) | | found | The date the animal was found. (Date) | | manual | A manual override for the animal's location. (String) | | manual | A manual override for the animal's location. (String) | | remove | The date the animal was removed from the dataset. (Date) | | remove | The date the animal was removed from the dataset. (Date) | | still_there | Whether or not the animal is still available for adoption. (Boolean) | | still_there | Whether or not the animal is still available for adoption. (Boolean) |

File: allDogDescriptions.csv | Column name | Description | |:--------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------| | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | url | The URL of the animal's profile on PetFinder. (String) | | url | The URL of the animal's profile on PetFinder. (String) | | type.x | The type of animal. (String) | | type.x | The type of animal. (String) | | species | The species of the animal. (S...

Do you want to help a dog in need? This dataset contains information on over 3,000 adoptable dogs across the United States. By understanding patterns of dog movement and relocation, we can help these animals find their forever homes. The data includes information on the origin of each dog, as well as the state they are currently listed for adoption in. This can be used to understand patterns of dog movement across the country, and how different states rely on imported dogs for adoption. There are several things to keep in mind when using this dataset: - The data represents a single day of data. It is possible that patterns have changed since then. - The data only includes adoptable dogs that were listed on PetFinder.com

How to use the dataset

This dataset of adoptable dogs in the US was collected to better understand how animals are relocated from state to state and imported from outside the US. The data includes information on over 3,000 dogs that were described as having originated in places different from where they were listed for adoption. The findings were published in a visual essay on The Pudding entitled Finding Forever Homes published in October 2019. This dataset is a snapshot of data collected on a single day and does not include all adoptable dogs in the US. However, it provides valuable insights into the whereabouts of these animals and the journey they take to find their forever homes

How to use the dataset

This dataset is a great resource for understanding how adoptable dogs are relocated from state to state and imported into the US. The data provides information on the origin of each dog, as well as the state they are currently listed for adoption in. This can be used to understand patterns of dog movement across the country, and how different states rely on imported dogs for adoption.

Research Ideas

1. Finding out how many of each type and breed of dog are brought into shelters across the USA in a given year.
2. Seeing which states have the most imports of dogs and what breeds/types those are.
3. Determining if there are any trends in the types/breeds of dogs being brought into shelters (e.g. more pit bulls than golden retrievers)

Data Dictionary

• File: dogTravel.csv | Column name | Description | |---|---| | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | found | The date the animal was found. (Date) | | manual | A manual override for the animal's location. (String) | | remove | The date the animal was removed from the dataset. (Date) | | still_there | Whether or not the animal is still available for adoption. (Boolean) |

• File: allDogDescriptions.csv | Column name | Description | |---|---| | contact_city | The city where the animal is located. (String) | | contact_state | The state where the animal is located. (String) | | description | A description of the animal. (String) | | url | The URL of the animal's profile on PetFinder. (String) | | type.x | The type of animal. (String) | | species | The species of the animal. (String) | | breed_primary | The primary breed of the animal. (String) | | breed_secondary | The secondary breed of the animal. (String) | | breed_mixed | Whether the animal is a mixed breed. (String) | | breed_unknown | Whether the animal's breed is unknown. (String) | | color_primary | The primary color of the animal. (String) | | color_secondary | The secondary color of the animal. (String) | | color_tertiary | The tertiary color of the animal. (String) | | age | The age of the animal. (String) | | sex | The animal's sex. (String) | | size | The size of the animal. (String) | | coat | The type of coat the animal has. (String) | | fixed | Whether the animal is spayed or neutered. (String) | | house_trained | Whether the animal is house trained. (String) | | declawed | Whether the animal is declawed. (String) | | special_needs | Whether the animal has any special needs. (String) | | shots_current | Whether the animal is up to date on shots. (String) | | env_children | Whether the animal is good with children. (String) |

• File: movesByLocation.csv | Column name | Description | |---|---| | location | The state where the dog is located. (String) | | exported | The number of dogs exported from the state. (Integer) | | imported | The number of dogs imported to the state. (Integer) | | total | The total number of dogs in the state. (Integer) | | inUS | The number of dogs in the US. (Integer) |

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a host of unique challenges for individuals worldwide, particularly for pet owners, due to widespread shutdowns, social distancing, and financial stress. While pet acquisition increased during this time, the impact on veterinary care access and pet ownership trends remain underexplored. Within the online survey of 751 US residents 79% were pet owners (n = 596). Twenty percent of all pet owners reported difficulty accessing basic veterinary care, such as vaccinations or annual exams. Logit models revealed that having children and working from home increased the likelihood of acquiring a pet during the pandemic. Additionally, owning a pet acquired during the pandemic and managing pets with behavioral issues were associated with greater challenges in accessing veterinary care. These findings highlight unique circumstances during COVID-19 related to pet acquisition and veterinary care, which may be expanded to other situations. A better understanding of these difficulties is essential to develop solutions that protect animal welfare and support the human-animal bond, particularly in times of crisis.