Human expectations can greatly affect the human-companion animal relationship, sometimes putting nonhuman animals at risk for relinquishment. At 20 animal shelters in Southern Ontario, Canada, potential adopters (N = 234) completed a questionnaire regarding their lifestyle, companion animal-care knowledge, and preadoption expectations of their adopted companion animals. Linear mixed models were used to assess the associations of adopters' lifestyles and companion animal-care knowledge with their expectations for animal behavior, the human-companion animal relationship, and the effort required in companion-animal guardianship. Dog adopters had higher expectations than cat adopters for their companion animal's behavior (p < .001), the human-companion animal relationship (p < .001), and the effort required in companion-animal guardianship (p < .001). Adopters' human relationship statuses were also associated with expectations for the human-companion animal relationship (p = .002). As adopters' companion animal-care knowledge increased, so did their expectations for the effort required in companion-animal guardianship (p < .001). An understanding of adopters' expectations prior to adoption will help animal shelters better match, educate, and prepare adopters for their lives with companion animals.
Keywords: Adoption; companion animal; expectation; owner.