As part of my graduate degree requirements at Tuft’s University’s Center for Animals and Public Policy, I conducted a research study on a topic that I have dedicated years to understanding: the relationship between photos and animal adoption.

Anecdotally, I knew from years of volunteering as a photographer for rescues that beautiful photos showcasing the individuality of an animal attracts more interest from adopters than the depressing kennel photos we’ve come to know as the norm. I hear stories all the time from rescuers and other photographers of successful marketing campaigns that focused on showcasing dogs in positive and unique ways, resulting in adoptions and thereby creating room for another dog to be rescued.

In short, more adoptions means shelters and rescues can take in more dogs, which leads to more lives saved. So I wanted to quantitatively prove what I and many others in the animal rescue and advocacy world already knew to be true: photos matter.

My study, which is presented in an infographic below, is entitled Photographing Their Way to Adoption: a Study on the Impact of Photo Quality on Perceived Adoptability of Shelter Dogs. In conjunction with Petfinder.com, the Center for Shelter Dogs and the MSPCA at Nevins Farm, I developed a survey to be hosted on Petfinder.com that assessed the various ways people respond to dogs based solely on an image and minimal background. I wanted to understand what judgments are made and the ways in which they impact perceived adoptability. Since I already knew photos make a difference, the data collected would indicate how.

Participants were asked to rate dogs on a series of qualities and traits, all to answer three key questions:

• How does appearance impact adopter perception?
• Do photos have an impact on perceived adoptability?
• Are personality judgments made when viewing a particular photo?

The answers questions to these questions would advise shelters and rescue organizations on best practices for promoting and marketing their adoptable dogs.

To make the data easily digestible for broad audiences, I’ve visually presented stats in this infographic.