Caracterização da população animal em um Centro de Acolhimento Temporário e Adoção (CATA): um estudo da distribuição espaço-temporal em Betim, Minas Gerais (2022-2023)

Abstract

The present study aimed to characterize the profile of dogs and cats admitted to a Temporary Shelter and Adoption Center (CATA) in the municipality of Betim, Minas Gerais, between the years 2022 and 2023, focusing on demographic variables such as species, age, and sex, on the spatiotemporal distribution of origin, on the reasons for admission, and on institutional outcomes. The research involved the analysis of 4,011 animal records, using descriptive methods, logistic regression, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), and georeferencing. Of the total records, 75% corresponded to dogs and 25% to cats, with a balanced distribution between males and females. Among felines, kittens predominated (73.39%), while dogs presented similar proportions between adults (51.93%) and puppies (48.07%). Logistic regression showed that being a feline increases by 2.08 times the likelihood of an animal being admitted for the reason “reproduction.” The main reasons for admission were related to reproduction (37.64%), injuries and trauma (32.60%), and infectious diseases (15.74%). It was observed that most animals were surrendered directly by residents, 81.5% of felines and 51.11% of canines, highlighting a significant social demand for institutional shelter. Spatial analysis demonstrated a higher concentration of admissions in peripheral and socially vulnerable neighborhoods, reinforcing the relationship between territorial inequalities and the presence of animals at risk, and also revealed the presence of puppies in all municipal regions, indicating high uncontrolled birth rates. These results highlight the need for territorialized preventive actions, more effective triage protocols, and population management policies adjusted to the clinical and demographic profile of sheltered animals. In the temporal analysis, the month with the highest number of admissions was September 2022, and the monthly average of entries was 167 animals, equivalent to approximately five admissions per day. The most frequent outcome was death, representing 47.13% of canine admissions and 49.26% of feline admissions, followed by adoption and release. Logistic regression also revealed that puppies had an 81.9% higher chance of being adopted compared to adults. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) identified three main clusters: kittens and felines strongly related to admission for reproduction, admission of males related to trauma, and outcome patterns related to cases admitted with nonspecific clinical signs that were later diagnosed as zoonotic diseases, resulting in referrals for euthanasia at the Zoonosis Control Center (CCZ). The study also evaluated the institutional capacity to provide care, using a checklist of 13 indicators adapted from international literature, and when comparing the periods 2022–2023 and 2025, a significant evolution was observed in the implementation of animal welfare practices and clinical management, increasing from 3 (23.1%) to 11 (84.6%) fulfilled criteria. Finally, the study presents recommendations for strengthening public policies on population management, intersectoral integration, and the qualification of shelter medicine, emphasizing that the integration of clinical, population, and geographic data is essential for improving the management of both internal and external policies of CATAs, contributing to the optimization of resources, the qualified management of animals, the promotion of the welfare of sheltered animals, and the strengthening of institutional and community articulation, with such measures being fundamental for the formulation of effective public policies aimed at dog and cat population control and the promotion of One Health.