Animal Statistics

Our Animal Statistics Tables are based on a reporting system that follows the Asilomar Accords.

The Asilomar Accords outline principles that guide animal welfare organizations to work together to save the lives of all healthy and treatable companion animals. The document aims to cut through the rhetoric of “no kill” vs. “limited admission” vs. “open admission” shelters and to dispel the murkiness of what defines an adoptable animal. By utilizing a standard language for their statistics, shelters and their supporters are able to easily and clearly track progress both at a specific shelter and across shelters nationwide.

How Can I Understand the Statistics?

Euthanasia statistics are represented in four categories: healthy, treatable/rehabilitatable, treatable/manageable, and unhealthy/untreatable.

Definitions of these categories are available here. These clear definitions allow our community to understand the euthanasia statistics for their local animal welfare organizations without the confusion of unclear or unethical reporting.

What is The Live Release Rate?

The Live Release Rate is perhaps the most compelling of the statistics. The Live Release Rate reveals the percentage of animals that leave the shelter alive regardless of their health or behavior status. This measurement eliminates any subjective definition of the word “adoptable”.

Animal Statistics

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