Pet rescue statistics help show how many dogs and cats enter community shelters and how many are adopted. Shelter Animals Count 2024 state-level data reports average dog and cat adoptions, average community intakes, and the number of reporting organizations for eight states. These figures are state-level averages for 2024, not national totals or forecasts.
Contents
- How to read these pet rescue statistics
- Alaska and Alabama
- Arkansas and Arizona
- California and Colorado
- Connecticut and Delaware
- Florida and Georgia
- Cross-state comparisons
How to read these pet rescue statistics
The numbers below come from the Shelter Animals Count 2024 state-level data source label supplied with each statistic. “Average dog adoptions” and “average cat adoptions” are reported separately from “average dog community intakes” and “average cat community intakes.” A community intake is therefore not the same measurement as an adoption in this article.
The reporting-organization figure is also separate. It indicates how many organizations contributed to the state-level data, not the number of animals rescued and not the number of shelters in the state. Because the measurements are averages, they should not be added together to create a statewide annual total. The data covers 2024 and should be read as a snapshot of that measurement period.
Alaska and Alabama
Alaska’s 2024 figures were lower than Alabama’s in each of the four animal-flow measures reported here. Alaska recorded an average of 109 dog adoptions and 165 cat adoptions. Its average community intakes were 221 dogs and 266 cats. The source reported 43 participating organizations for Alaska.
Alabama recorded an average of 210 dog adoptions and 166 cat adoptions in 2024. Its average community intakes were 360 dogs and 264 cats. Alabama had 220 reporting organizations in the same Shelter Animals Count state-level data.
The adoption pattern differed between these two states. Alaska’s reported average for cat adoptions was higher than its dog-adoption average, while Alabama’s dog-adoption average was higher than its cat-adoption average. For community intakes, Alaska’s cat figure exceeded its dog figure, whereas Alabama’s dog figure exceeded its cat figure by the reported averages.
| State | Average dog adoptions | Average cat adoptions | Average dog community intakes | Average cat community intakes | Reporting organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 109 | 165 | 221 | 266 | 43 |
| Alabama | 210 | 166 | 360 | 264 | 220 |
These figures are useful for understanding the scale represented by the reporting organizations, but they do not establish that every rescue or shelter in either state participated. The source label identifies the data as 2024 state-level data.
Arkansas and Arizona
Arkansas recorded an average of 176 dog adoptions and 149 cat adoptions in 2024. The state’s average community intakes were 254 dogs and 206 cats. The same source reported 202 reporting organizations for Arkansas.
Arizona recorded an average of 190 dog adoptions and 173 cat adoptions. Its average dog community intake was 248, while its average cat community intake was 225. Arizona had 386 reporting organizations in the 2024 state-level figures.
Both states reported more average dog adoptions than cat adoptions. They also reported more average dog community intakes than cat community intakes. In Arkansas, the difference between the dog and cat adoption averages was 27 reported adoptions; in Arizona, the corresponding difference was 17. Those comparisons describe the reported averages only and do not represent annual totals.
Arkansas and Arizona also illustrate why organization counts matter when interpreting rescue statistics. Arizona’s reporting-organization count was 386, compared with 202 for Arkansas. A larger reporting-organization figure does not by itself mean more animals were rescued, because the animal-flow measures are reported separately and the participating organizations may differ in size and activity.
California and Colorado
California recorded an average of 176 dog adoptions and 214 cat adoptions in 2024. Its average community intakes were 287 dogs and 263 cats. California had 1,634 reporting organizations, the largest organization count among the states included in these figures.
Colorado recorded an average of 199 dog adoptions and 304 cat adoptions. Its average community intakes were 296 dogs and 391 cats. The source reported 300 reporting organizations for Colorado.
These states had different species patterns. California’s cat-adoption average was higher than its dog-adoption average, while Colorado’s cat-adoption average was also higher than its dog-adoption average. California reported more average dog community intakes than cat community intakes. Colorado showed the reverse pattern, with the cat community-intake average higher than the dog community-intake average.
| State | Dog adoptions | Cat adoptions | Dog community intakes | Cat community intakes | Reporting organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 176 | 214 | 287 | 263 | 1,634 |
| Colorado | 199 | 304 | 296 | 391 | 300 |
California’s reporting-organization count is more than five times Colorado’s reported count, but the figures do not provide enough information to compare statewide totals or organization size. They do show that the 2024 data included a substantially larger reporting group for California than for the other states listed here.
Connecticut and Delaware
Connecticut recorded an average of 83 dog adoptions and 101 cat adoptions in 2024. Its average dog community intake was 113, and its average cat community intake was 155. Connecticut had 204 reporting organizations.
Delaware recorded an average of 188 dog adoptions and 311 cat adoptions. The state’s average community intakes were 167 dogs and 313 cats. Delaware had 37 reporting organizations in the 2024 state-level data.
The adoption averages for both states were higher for cats than for dogs. The community-intake averages also were higher for cats in both states. Delaware’s cat-adoption average of 311 was higher than its dog-adoption average of 188, while Connecticut’s cat-adoption average of 101 was higher than its dog-adoption average of 83.
The relationship between adoption and intake measures was not identical across the two states. Connecticut’s reported dog community-intake average was higher than its dog-adoption average, and its cat community-intake average was also higher than its cat-adoption average. Delaware’s cat community-intake average was slightly higher than its cat-adoption average, while its dog community-intake average was lower than its dog-adoption average. These are comparisons of separate reported averages, not a calculation of an intake-to-adoption rate.
Florida and Georgia
Florida recorded an average of 178 dog adoptions and 280 cat adoptions in 2024. Its average dog community intake was 205, and its average cat community intake was 398. The source reported 796 participating organizations for Florida.
Georgia recorded an average of 189 dog adoptions and 225 cat adoptions. Its average community intakes were 280 dogs and 298 cats. Georgia had 404 reporting organizations.
Both states recorded higher average cat adoptions than dog adoptions. Both also recorded higher average cat community intakes than dog community intakes. The difference between Florida’s cat and dog adoption averages was 102, while the difference between Georgia’s cat and dog adoption averages was 36.
Florida’s reported cat community-intake average of 398 was the highest cat community-intake figure in this group of states. Georgia’s cat community-intake average was 298. For dogs, Georgia’s average community intake of 280 was higher than Florida’s 205, even though Florida had the larger reporting-organization count.
Cross-state comparisons
Looking across all eight states, the largest reported average dog-adoption figure was Alabama’s 210. The smallest was Connecticut’s 83. For cat adoptions, Delaware’s 311 was the largest reported average, while Connecticut’s 101 was the smallest.
The highest average dog community intake was Colorado’s 296, narrowly above Alabama’s 360? No: Alabama’s reported average was 360, so Alabama had the highest dog community-intake figure in this set. Connecticut had the lowest at 113. For cats, Florida’s 398 was the highest average community-intake figure, and Connecticut’s 155 was the lowest.
| Measure | Lowest reported average | Highest reported average |
|---|---|---|
| Dog adoptions | Connecticut: 83 | Alabama: 210 |
| Cat adoptions | Connecticut: 101 | Delaware: 311 |
| Dog community intakes | Connecticut: 113 | Alabama: 360 |
| Cat community intakes | Connecticut: 155 | Florida: 398 |
The eight reporting-organization counts ranged from 37 in Delaware to 1,634 in California. Alaska had 43, Alabama had 220, Arkansas had 202, Arizona had 386, Colorado had 300, Connecticut had 204, Florida had 796, and Georgia had 404 reporting organizations.
These figures also show why pet rescue statistics need clear labels. The state with the most reporting organizations was not the state with the highest reported average in every animal-flow category. California had the most reporting organizations, but Alabama had the highest reported average for dog community intakes, Delaware had the highest cat-adoption average, and Florida had the highest cat community-intake average. The Shelter Animals Count 2024 state-level data therefore supports comparisons of the reported measures, while leaving statewide totals, rates, and trend conclusions outside the scope of these figures.