The State of Animal Welfare Today

Animals in US Households
Animals in US Shelters
No-Kill Shelters
Getting Animals Into Homes
Why Do Pets End Up In Shelters?
Initiatives to Increase Pet Lifesaving

Current number of Animals in US Households¹

More than 2/3 of US households share their homes with cats and dogs

186 million cats and dogs live in 86 million households

22% of households are multi-pet and have cats and dogs

Key Stats About Cats in US Households

79 million

cats owned in the US

1.74

average cats per household

more cats owned in the US since 2018

45.3 million (35%)

US households have a cat

17%

Increase in households with cats in past 10 years

Key Stats About Dogs in US Households

108 million

dogs owned in the US

1.56

average dogs per household

11%

more dogs owned in the US since 2018

69.0 million (54%)

US households have a dog

49%

Increase in households with dogs in past 10 years

Current Number of Animals in US Shelters²

83% of the 4.6 million cats and dogs that entered US shelters were saved in 2021.

Sadly, 355,000 cats and dogs needlessly died.

4.6 million cats and dogs entered US shelters in 2021

Five states account for half of all cats and dogs killed in the US.

Priority states for no-kill in 2021

Lifesaving progress around the country

Chart of national save rate and number of animals killed in America's shelters

For more on lifesaving progress, see our printable infographic or the pet lifesaving dashboard.

No-kill shelters

The percent of US shelters that are no-kill doubled in the past six years, from 24% in 2016 to 52% in 2021. This accounts for more 37% of all counties with sheltering services.⁶

85% of adults surveyed say they have at least heard the term no-kill.³

85% of adults feel it is very important or essential to have no-kill shelters in their area.³

45% of adults were not sure if shelters in their local areas are no-kill.³

81% of people are more likely to support a shelter working towards becoming no-kill.³

52% of adults would donate to a local shelter or rescue group to ensure shelters become no-kill.³

57% of adults would sign a petition to require no-kill shelters in their area.³

A 90% save rate for the animals entering a shelter is the common sense benchmark for measuring no-kill. Learn what no-kill means.

Getting animals into homes

Most important considerations when looking for a new pet: ⁴

Most important considerations when looking for a new pet

While intent to adopt is strong, there is a significant drop off in adoption behavior.

Graphic with statistics about pet adoption

Why the difference? Barriers to adoption revolve around uncertainty and lack of ease in the process.

Barriers to Pet Adoption Where Pets Are Acquired Graphic

Why do pets end up in shelters? It's not them, it's us.⁵

Pets are relinquished to shelters for reasons related to the owner's circumstances at roughly a ratio of 3 to 1 as compared to reasons specific to the animal. Unlike what many may believe, the animal's behavior is not a leading reason for surrender.

Human vs. Animal Surrender Reason

Top reasons cats and dogs are surrendered

14.1% of dogs are surrendered due to housing issues, the top reason for canines, while more cats are surrendered due to the owner having too many animals (22.6%) than any other reason.

Top initiatives to increase pet lifesaving

Community Cats/Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

Trap-neuter-return (TNR) entails trapping, neutering, vaccinating, and returning community cats to their original outdoor locations

Community Cats/Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

While cats and dogs enter US shelters in roughly equal numbers, more than twice as many cats are needlessly dying in shelters. 68% of the animals killed in shelters are cats (the remaining 32% are dogs).⁶

The most significant concerns about free roaming cats are the spread of diseases (59%), abandoned litters (58%), and overpopulation (57%).³

These concerns can be remedied through TNR (Trap Neuter Return) and community cat programs and yet 55% of adults have never heard of TNR.³

65% of adults favor the TNR process once it is explained to them.³

71% of adults prefer to leave stray cats in their communities if it means keeping them alive.¹⁴

Ending Breed Restrictions

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) bans or restricts certain types of dogs based on their appearance - usually because they are perceived as dangerous.

Ending Breed Discrimination

84% of Americans believe that federal, state or local government should not tell citizens what breeds of dog they cannot own.⁷

22 states have passed provisions against breed-specific legislation⁸, but only two states (Pennsylvania and Michigan) have laws prohibiting breed-based restrictions in the homeowner's insurance market.⁹

Sadly, legislation in seven states currently restricts dogs seized in dogfighting cases, stigmatizing them as damaged and unadoptable and denying them an opportunity to prove otherwise.¹⁰

Stopping Puppy Mills

Puppy mills are "factory farms" for dogs. Dogs live in small cages, often only six inches larger than the dog on all sides, and are bred as frequently as possible.

Stopping Puppy Mills

More than 400 humane pet sales laws have been enacted, including four states (Maine, Maryland, California, Washington) that prohibit the sale of animals from breeding mills.¹¹

Since 2002, the percentage of households with purebred dogs has seen a decrease and households with mixed-breed dogs has seen an increase.¹

Purebred vs. Mixed-Breed Dogs

Spay/Neuter Programs and Education

Spaying and neutering reduces the number of animals who enter shelters and may also prevent medical and behavioral problems

Spay/Neuter Programs and Education

Despite the increases seen since 2000 in the rate of dogs and cats spayed and neutered, there has been a more recent downward trend.¹²

Cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months¹³

Spayed/Neutered

Increased Community Involvement

You can make a difference for dogs and cats in your own community and nationwide, no matter where you live.

Increased Community Involvement

Support pet-friendly laws and ordinances: Find an alert relevant to where you live and fill out the contact fields with your information.

Foster: To learn more about the benefits of fostering, check out our resources, FAQ's, and contact information.

67% of respondents have fostered a dog or would consider it and 48% have fostered a cat or would consider it.³

Volunteer: You'll make a real difference in the lives of homeless pets, meet others who love animals, and have fun! There are thousands of Best Friends Network Partners all over the country, and they need your help tody.