Our Data

2025

How do you get your data, and what do you do with it?

We’re so glad you asked! Our stats help us with so many things – from seeing where we need to spend our time & funds, to helping us actually get those funds through grants, to noting historical trends and being able to accurately budget for the future.

For example, there used to be a time when strays made up the majority of animals we took in every year. In the last several years, owner surrenders have been on the rise. By identifying these trends, we can tell that focusing on the programs that support pet owners will ultimately keep their pets out of the shelter and at home where they belong. Armed with these stats, we can apply for grants that will help support our vaccine clinics, pet food pantry and education initiatives.

Who do you report your data to and how is it calculated?

We report our statistics in several different places, and each place requires a slightly different format, so they get recorded in several ways. For example, some reporting bodies count Euthanasia Requests (where owners can bring in their animals for end-of-life services) as live intakes for the shelter, and some do not. In the same vein – some count TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) as live intakes, while others do not. The Maryland Department of Agriculture, for example, only asks for data on cats and dogs, but we always show you our “others”, because we feel they’re a very important part of the work we do.

The standard numbers you’ll see for animal sheltering are Live Release Rate (LRR), Save Rate, or Live Placement Rate; however, there is no one standard way to calculate those numbers. In general, they’re calculated by dividing the total number of live outcomes by the total number of outcomes. Live outcomes include adoptions, transfers, and return to owner, while total outcomes also include euthanasias (excluding owner-requested or wildlife).

We do not count the following in our LRR –

  • DOA – animals that are picked up already deceased and brought to us for cremation.
  • Euthanasia Requests – this is a service we provide for the community; these are not animals that would have come in the shelter otherwise, so we do not count them.
  • Wildlife – we are not authorized to deal with wildlife. We only accept wildlife if the animal is suffering and needs to be euthanized or if we can transfer it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
  • Rabies Testing – we are sometimes mandated by the health department to euthanize an animal suspected of having rabies. Since we have no control over these situations, we do not count these animals.

If you have any other questions about our statistics, please contact Amanda Hickman or Fernando Diaz.