The Gender Imbalance in Animal Rescue

Scott claims he has no time nor desire to be on Facebook. However, he does frequently lean over my shoulder when I'm on and ask, "So what's goin' on?" Such was the case the other evening when I was looking at Joe's Animal House FB page and the latest crop of dogs and cats needing rescue. As we scanned the many posted comments, networking, and offers to pledge, transport, or foster animals at high risk of euthanasia, Scott observed that it was interesting to see the vast majority of participants are women. That is interesting, isn't it?

In her book, Rescue Matters: How to Find, Foster, and Rehome Companion Animals: A Guide for Volunteers and Organizers, Sheila Webster Boneham mentions that most of the people active in animal rescue are women. Andrei S. Markovits and Robin Queen of the University of Michigan in their research paper, Women and the World of Canine Rescue, conclude that "...the world of dog rescue is a world populated almost entirely by women."

Nothing conclusive has been determined as to why this disparity occurs, and opinions vary widely. Many think it's because women are more nurturing and more likely to get emotional and/or social support from rescue work. Some think it's because men have "better things to do"; and a few even think it's because men are more emotionally fragile and cannot bear with either the reality of the many animals that cannot be saved or the separation at adoption time from those with which they have bonded.

This is merely of interest and not intended to make judgments about either rescue or gender differences. I would also like to point out some of the notable men who are prominent in animal rescue:  

• Nathan Winograd who has written some of the defining texts on and led the charge toward no-kill shelters in America
• Ryan Clinton, advocate and winner of the Henry Bergh Leadership Award in 2009 for leading a campaign to pass Austin's first ever No Kill Equation ordinance
• Our very own Joe Skenesky of Joe's Animal House who spearheads the salvation of hundreds if not thousands of animals each year besides having a "day job"

These are some pretty fine specimens. To you menfolk not currently in the rescue stream: Pay attention to these male change agents who are finding a definitive place in what has been a "woman's world". There's room for you in animal rescue; and all of us already there—women and men—will warmly welcome you. Despite your possible emotional fragility in these matters, we will be here to help you be strong and get stronger.