Data shows overall stability, species- specific shifts, and ongoing capacity pressures across U.S. shelters and rescues
NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the national database for animal sheltering statistics and a program of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), has released its 2025 Annual Data Report, offering the most comprehensive look yet at trends in animal sheltering across the United States. This year’s report marks a major milestone, with the program collecting and analyzing a full decade of national sheltering data.
Drawing from data submitted by shelters and rescues to SAC, the 2025 report reveals that while many national metrics held steady with 2024, important species and age-specific patterns continue to influence intakes, outcomes, and capacity in organizations across the country.
Key Findings from the 2025 Annual Data Report
Community Intakes Declined Slightly: Dog and cat community intakes totaled 5.8 million animals, a 2% decrease (121,000 fewer animals) compared to 2024. Month‑over‑month trends followed typical seasonal patterns but remained consistently lower than the previous year.
Adoptions Increased Slightly: Total adoptions reached 4.2 million animals, a 0.7% increase, from 2024. Adoption activity remained strong across both species, contributing to overall live outcomes.
Non‑Live Outcomes Shifted by Species: Non‑live outcomes totaled 757,000 animals, a slight decline (1%) from 2024. Dog non‑live outcomes decreased by 5%, while cat non‑live outcomes rose slightly by 4%, reflecting ongoing challenges with neonates and older cats.
Return‑to‑Owner Outcomes Continued to Decline: Return‑to‑owner outcomes fell by 3%, with 638,000 animals reunited with their families. Stray dogs remained six times more likely to be returned to owners than stray cats.
A Decade of Trusted Sheltering Data: With 10 years of national sheltering data now available, SAC provides the clearest long‑range view to date of how intakes, outcomes, and population flow have progressed across the field.
Industry Leaders Respond to the Findings
“SAC is the nation’s most-trusted source for animal sheltering data from the national level to local regions,” said Stephanie Filer, vice president of SAC. “With another year of capacity pressure and pets staying in shelters longer, data remains essential for understanding where the field is holding steady and where targeted support is needed. This year’s report not only reflects the realities of 2025 but also the value of a decade of consistent data, which helps us see long‑term patterns and better prepare for the future.”
“As shelters continue to face ongoing capacity pressures, we encourage the public to adopt, foster, or volunteer to support vulnerable cats and dogs in their communities. When people get involved, they help ease the strain on shelters and allow critical resources to be directed to other animals in need,” said Christa Chadwick, senior vice president of shelter services for the ASPCA. “Even with 4.2 million cats and dogs adopted nationwide last year, thousands of pets are still waiting for loving homes. These latest insights from Shelter Animals Count, a program of the ASPCA, help guide long-term solutions to the challenges shelters are facing and strengthen our lifesaving collaborations that support communities and their pets.”
Download the Report
The 2025 report builds on SAC’s expanded animal‑level dataset, which provides more detailed insights into animal age, size, intake type, and length of stay. SAC also continued to refine its machine‑learning estimation model, enabling more precise national estimates across organization types and regions.
Read the full report today at https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/2025-report.
About Shelter Animals Count
Shelter Animals Count, a program of the ASPCA, is a collaborative, industry-led organization formed by a diverse group of animal welfare agencies to create and share The National Database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts and enabling insights that will improve animal welfare throughout the country. By relying on the strength of our robust dataset, Shelter Animals Count ensures that the trends we report reflect the realities that shelters and rescues are experiencing across the nation. Our data is trusted by thousands of organizations and industry partners because of its accuracy and the integrity of our analysis practices. For more information, visit shelteranimalscount.org, and follow Shelter Animals Count on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. For further insights from Shelter Animals Count, download the 2025 Annual Data Report.
About the ASPCA®
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) believes every animal deserves to live free from suffering. For more than 150 years, we’ve been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect millions of lives in the fight against animal cruelty. As the nation’s first and leading animal welfare organization, we assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal relocation and placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary communities through research, training and resources. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than 2 million supporters nationwide, our commitment to eliminating animal cruelty is unwavering. For more information visit aspca.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
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SOURCE ASPCA
