U.S. Animal Shelter Statistics (2025–2026)
Last updated: November 3, 2026
A plain-language guide to how many dogs and cats pass through American shelters and rescues each year, how many are adopted, and where the biggest gaps remain — by state, by city and by type of dog. Figures come from Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society; sources are listed at the bottom.
Key takeaways
- About 5.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters in 2025, and about 4.2 million were adopted.
- Roughly 82% of shelter animals left alive in 2025, up from about 71% in 2016.
- About 68% of U.S. shelters met the no-kill benchmark (a 90%+ save rate).
- Intake rose again in early 2026, led by cats, and more animals came in than went out.
- Large adult dogs wait longest and are the biggest strain on shelter space.
- Save rates range from under 70% to over 98% depending on the state.
National snapshot: 2025 full year
| Measure | 2025 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs and cats entering shelters | ~5.8 million | 2.8M dogs + 3.0M cats; ~2% (≈121,000) fewer than 2024 |
| Adoptions | ~4.2 million | ≈2.0M dogs + 2.2M cats |
| Euthanized | ~597,000 | ≈320,000 dogs + 277,000 cats |
| Dogs returned to owners | ~542,000 | Strays were 59% of all intakes |
| Dogs transferred to other groups | ~530,000 | Owner surrenders were ~30% of intakes |
| Non-live outcomes (all causes) | ~757,000 | Euthanasia plus animals that died or were lost in care |
| National live-outcome rate | ~82% | Euthanasia rate down from ~10% (2019) to ~8% |
The dog adoption rate compared with intake rose to 57% (from 55% in 2024), while cats held steady at about 63%. Dog euthanasia fell nearly 7% year over year.
Best Friends Animal Society uses a slightly different model. It puts the 2025 national save rate at about 82–82.5% and estimates roughly 400,000 dogs and cats were killed in shelters — down from about 1.03 million in 2016.
2026 mid-year trends (January–June)
- ~3.7 million dogs and cats entered care, about 72,000 (2%) more than the first half of 2025. Cat intake rose ~3.5%; dog intake was roughly flat.
- 213,000 more animals entered than left, so more animals were in care at mid-year.
- About 1.1 million dogs were adopted — a small gain, but still about 72,000 below mid-2016.
- Adult dogs made up 66% (~236,000) of the dogs still waiting in care.
- Dog euthanasia fell about 10% (~15,000 fewer), largely because fewer strays came in. Combined dog and cat euthanasia fell ~3.3%.
Large dogs and length of stay
Large dogs (roughly 55 lb and up) are the biggest bottleneck. In 2025 they were about 26% of dogs coming in from the community but only about 22% of adoptions. A 2026 industry report found large dogs spend about 70% longer in shelters than smaller dogs. Their median stay before adoption improved from 19 to 17 days, but they still lag behind.
Longer stays keep kennels full and leave less room for new arrivals. That is why many shelters ask most urgently for adopters and foster homes for big adult dogs.
Shelter outcomes by state
Outcomes vary widely across the country, and Southern states generally face the most pressure.
Lowest dog save rates
| State | Dog save rate |
|---|---|
| Alabama | ~69.9% |
| Louisiana | ~73.2% |
| North Carolina | ~76.8% |
| Maryland | ~78.0% |
| Oklahoma | ~78.1% |
Texas recorded the highest number of dog non-live outcomes of any state, about 51,869.
Highest dog save rates
| State | Dog save rate |
|---|---|
| North Dakota | ~98.2% |
| Delaware | ~97.4% |
| Montana | ~96.9% |
| South Dakota | ~96.7% |
| Idaho / Wyoming | ~95.3% |
States furthest from statewide no-kill (2025)
Additional dogs and cats each state would need to save to reach a 90% save rate:
| State | Animals short of no-kill |
|---|---|
| Texas | ~78,800 |
| California | ~54,400 |
| North Carolina | ~36,900 |
| Alabama | ~21,300 |
| Florida | ~20,000 |
| Georgia | ~19,800 |
Texas has topped this list for years, even though many of its large city shelters improved in 2025. Austin, for example, regularly reports live outcomes near 95%.
Statewide no-kill progress
- Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont were fully no-kill in 2025.
- Idaho reached statewide no-kill in early 2026 and Wyoming by late 2026.
- Montana and North Dakota were very close, often fewer than 50 animals short.
Shelters in major U.S. cities
Approximate 2025 live-outcome rates (adoptions, returns to owners and transfers as a share of all outcomes). How complete the data is varies by city.
| City | Live-outcome rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | ~95% | Intake ~15,200 |
| Phoenix / Maricopa County, AZ | ~94% | |
| Denver, CO | ~93–94% | |
| San Diego, CA | ~91% | |
| Los Angeles, CA | ~87–88% | High intake, ~44,000 |
| Chicago, IL | ~87% | |
| Philadelphia, PA | ~86–87% | |
| New York City, NY | ~86% | |
| Houston, TX | ~81% | Lower end among large cities |
Government-run shelters usually have higher non-live outcome rates for dogs than private rescues — about 15% compared with about 3% in some SAC analyses — partly because public shelters must take in every animal that arrives.
Lost pets: dogs vs. cats
Stray dogs are far more likely to get home than stray cats: about 34% of stray dogs were returned to their owners in 2025, compared with about 6% of stray cats. A microchip with current contact details and an ID tag are the simplest ways to improve those odds.
How to find and help a shelter near you
- Adopt — especially an adult or large dog, who often waits longest.
- Foster — even a few weeks frees a kennel for a new arrival.
- Volunteer or donate — local shelters list their needs on their own websites.
- Check local data — the Best Friends Pet Lifesaving Dashboard shows save rates for individual shelters in every state.
Brought a new pet home? Use our dog food calculator, cat food calculator, puppy or kitten calculators for a starting estimate of daily calories, and read our common feeding mistakes guide.
About these numbers
National totals are estimates. They are modeled from thousands of reporting shelters and rescues, not a complete count, and different organizations use different methods. Local results can differ a lot from national averages. Check the original sources below for the latest figures.
Sources
- Shelter Animals Count — 2025 Annual Data Report and 2026 Mid-Year Data Summary
- ASPCA — shelter intake and surrender summaries
- Best Friends Animal Society — Pet Lifesaving Dashboard and state rankings
- Hill's Pet Nutrition 2026 large-dog shelter report
