Pairing shelter dogs leads to less stress, faster adoption: study

Shelter dogs waiting for forever homes have a better chance of getting adopted faster, if they have a roommate in the shelter, according to new research by Virginia Tech.

Dogs housed alone in shelters “get more stressed while they’re there — they’re exposed to a lot of stressors,” said Erica Feuerbacher, associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Animal Sciences. This includes noise, confined kennel spaces and limited access to social interactions.

According to her research...