The Association Blog

This just-released study provides actionable insights to better address adopters’ needs and your community’s concerns

2024 marks the fifth consecutive year shelters across the nation are experiencing more intakes than outcomes. You know more than anyone the need for further data-driven insights to understand your community’s needs, and their perceptions about your services.

Now in its third year, Hill’s State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report offers findings from a survey of 2,500 socio-economically diverse current and prospective pet owners. Top takeaways include:

• Acquiring pets from family or friends is becoming increasingly popular among Americans.
• 75% of Gen Z & Millennial Americans are significantly more likely to adopt from a shelter in the future compared to 55% of Gen X & Baby Boomers
• Breed preference has remained the leading barrier to shelter adoption
• The biggest barrier to pet ownership is financial, with almost half of respondents citing cost of pet ownership as the number-one challenge

These are just a few of the high-level takeaways in this 92-page report. For additional stats that can help your org navigate through the crises that many shelters are facing, and to help you better understand and meet adopters’ needs, download the full report.

P.S. Look for the quotes from The Association’s President & CEO, Jim Tedford, and other members of The Association.