Summary
In 2025, more pet owners in the United States surrendered their animals to shelters despite a slight overall decrease in shelter intakes. The main reasons for surrenders included financial issues, housing problems, and limited access to veterinary care. Adoption rates remained steady, but the number of animals in shelters increased, causing capacity challenges.
Key Facts
- In 2025, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered animal shelters in the U.S., a 2% decrease from 2024.
- Owner surrenders rose to 30% of shelter intakes, up from 29% the previous year.
- An additional 10,000 dogs and 34,000 cats were surrendered by owners in 2025.
- Many owners cited financial strain and housing challenges as reasons for surrendering pets.
- Only 638,000 animals were returned to their owners in 2025, a 3% drop from 2024.
- Adoptions saw a slight increase to 4.2 million animals, although this didn't fully ease capacity issues.
- Shelters struggled with a 147,000 animal population imbalance, indicating more pets were entering than leaving.
