Bitches: What Animal Shelters Can Do to Reduce the Gender Gap in VolunteerismAnimal shelters depend on volunteers for everything from fundraising to day-to-day operations. There is no federal agency devoted to animal rescue, placing the burden on small independent community organizations. Understanding how to recruit and retain volunteers therefore becomes a critical component in the success of individual shelters and animal shelters in general. Companion animals like dogs remain popular in the United States, with between one third and one half of all households in America owning a dog; between 70 and 80 million dogs are pets (ASPCA, 2016). Given the affection Americans have for their companion animals, it would seem that volunteering at local animal shelters or taking part in foster care services would be relatively commonplace. Yet the "overwhelming presence of women in the recent world of dog rescue" has highlighted a significant gender gap in animal rescue volunteerism (Markovitz & Queen, 2009, p. 327). Animal shelters seem to be missing out on the opportunity to recruit and retain more male volunteer staff. The implications of the gender gap are tremendous, because animal rescue organizations frequently operate in spite of being overburdened, understaffed, and underfunded.
There are few studies that address the overwhelming presence of women in the world of dog rescue. Possible reasons for the gender gap are related to gender differences in attitudes towards animals, towards animal rescue operations, and towards animal rights philosophies. The gender gap in animal shelter volunteerism may be linked to a broader pattern of gender differences in other volunteer sectors. Yet there may be specific issues related to the nature of animal welfare work that attract more women than men. For example, Davis (2013) points out that animal shelters present "emotional situations that are not found in other volunteer capacities," and women may be generally more willing to endure the specific stressors of shelter work like euthanasia (p. 1). Other possible reasons are more linked to human resources theories, such as issues related to recruitment and retention of employees through appropriate incentives. Gender role theories and gender norms may also be related to the significant gender gap in animal volunteerism. For example, women may encourage other women to volunteer...
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