Animal Shelter Statistics 02-2009

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Animal Services Monthly Report February, 2009 4 For the month, there was a total of 157 “live releases,” consisting of 93 adoptions, 29 transfers and 35 returns to owners or custodians. Moreover, it is possible to determine the rate of live release for placeable animals and animals that have been recovered for a given month. Placeable animals do not include animals surrendered by their owner for euthanasia (usually due to illness, infirmity or a behavior problem); feral cats (as these are typically not placed); animals that died before arriving at the shelter or in our custody as a result of an “untreatable” injury or illness; or animals that are being held for a bite quarantine or court case. The number of placeable animals is determined by subtracting animals surrendered for euthanasia, feral cats, deceased animals, and court and bite holds from the total number of animals dispositioned in a given month. For the month of February, there were 254 total animals dispositioned. When we remove the animals on bite and court holds, animals surrendered for euthanasia, the feral cats and those animals that arrived dead or died of an untreatable injury while at the shelter, we are left with 223 “placeable” animals. To find the “live release rate,” we must then divide the total number of “live releases” (157) by the total number of potentially placeable animals whose disposition was decided in the month (223)—and as can be seen in Table B.2 Live Release for Placeable and Recovered Animals, the rate is 70 percent for the month of February.2 Finally, several observations can be made with respect to adoptions. By comparison with January 2009, there is a decrease in the number of adoptions (93 vs. 130), and a decrease in the number of “live releases” (157 vs. 210). When compared with February in 2008, there was a very slight decrease in adoptions for the month (93 in February 2009 vs. 97 in February 2008), and the live release rate was the same for both years (157). Pet Demographics and Overpopulation It is often said that pet problems are people problems, and that pet overpopulation is a community problem. These insights very much apply to our own circumstances and they help create a broader perspective in which to understand our own sheltering statistics. More specifically, the number of animals that are sheltered in a given period of time is itself not caused by or a direct function of our sheltering operations and practices. The number of unwanted animals in our communities (sometimes referred to as “surplus” pets); the extent to which cats, rabbits and dogs alike are spayed or neutered rather than allowed to remain intact and reproduce; the strength of norms and customs of responsible pet ownership; the scope and strength of animal regulations and their effective 2In earlier monthly reports, this was referred to as the “adoptable placement rate” versus the “gross placement rate,” insofar as the latter was determined on the basis of all animals dispositioned in a given month.