Trends in Intake and Outcome Data From U.S. Animal Shelters From 2016 to 2020

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Animal Welfare Studies
• Shelter Medicine

Background:

• Animal intake and outcomes in U.S. shelters are critical indicators of animal welfare.
• Understanding national trends is essential for effective resource allocation and policy development.
• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges and potential shifts in shelter dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze national trends in animal intake and outcomes in U.S. animal shelters from 2016 to 2020.
• To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic year (2020) on these trends.
• To identify significant changes in adoption, euthanasia, and live release rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, exploratory study utilizing data from 1,373 U.S. animal shelters.
• Consistent data reporting across a five-year period (2016-2020).
• Linear regression analysis to examine five-year trends and pandemic impacts.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases observed in total intake and euthanasia rates for both dogs and cats.
• Significant increases noted in adoption, return-to-owner, return-to-field, and transfer (cats) percentages.
• Live release rates, calculated against total intake and outcomes, showed significant increases for both species.

Conclusions:

• U.S. animal shelters experienced positive trends in reducing intake and euthanasia between 2016 and 2020.
• Key outcome metrics, including live release rates, improved significantly during the study period.
• The findings provide a national overview of evolving animal welfare services in shelters.