Our intake held steady this year. But who brought animals to our door changed, and that change points to a fix.
3,780dogs and cats came into our care
+90%more pets surrendered by families since 2021
290pets kept home with a little help
1 · The surface
About the same number of animals came in. Who brought them changed.
Strays fell by 550 since 2021. Family surrenders rose by 560 and filled the gap. In 2021 about 1 in 6 animals came from a family. In 2025 it was nearly 1 in 3.
StraysSurrendered by a familyOther
2 · The twist
3 in 4 families gave up their pet for reasons that had nothing to do with the pet.
Rent, moves, vet bills, and a caretaker's illness drove most of the 1,180 surrenders. Only 195 were about the pet's behavior or health.
Life got hard for the familyOtherAbout the pet
3 · The answer
A little help at the door costs far less than a kennel.
Our keep-home program offered food, a vet voucher, or help with a pet deposit. 290 of the 410 families who asked kept their pet.
Help one family keep their pet
$75
Care for one pet until adopted
$520
$30,750spent helping 410 families
$150,800in care we didn't need to give
$120,050saved, and 290 families kept whole
Our 2026 goal
$45,000 can help 600 families keep their pets.
Based on this year, that's about 425 pets who stay home instead of coming to us, and kennels freed for the animals who truly need one. That's about $221,000 of shelter care avoided: every $1 given avoids about $5 in care.