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US Animal Shelters
By the Numbers
We have analyzed data from over 400+ shelters in all 50 US states.

Shelter Admission:
Open or Limited Cat Intake?
Our data analysis shows that in 2017 shelter intake was 50/50 dogs and cats. This has trended to where in 2019 admission was 52% cats
and 48% dogs!
Total Shelter Intake
Dogs & Cats
Total shelter intake increased about 8%
from 2017 to 2019.


In 2019, kill rates for dogs in US was 12% while cat kill rates were 8%. The lower cat kill rates may be the result of trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programs to keep community cats out of shelters!
Kill Rates

Animal Sheltering Costs
The cost in 2019 for an animal shelter to shelter one dog or cat on average was $553.45.
Think of the savings that could be recognized by increasing spay/neuter efforts which humanely reduce dog and cat homelessness.

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