By Rachael O'Connor
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Millions of shelter animals were saved from euthanasia in 2024, a new study has revealed.
Over the last eight years, there has been an almost 60 percent drop in the number of pets being killed for space in shelters across the United States.
In 2016, more than 1 million dogs and cats were killed in shelters—and in 2024, that number dropped to 425,000, a reduction of 59 percent.
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Last year, just under 5 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters, and nearly 4 million are either still in the shelter or have gone on to find foster or forever homes.
The data comes from Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS), which provides insights and analytics from more than 10,000 shelters and rescue groups across the U.S., visible on its website's "pet lifesaving dashboard."
Its aim is for America to become a no-kill country, defined as having a 90 percent save rate for animals entering a shelter, allowing a 10 percent estimation for animals with medical or behavioral issues that affect their quality of life.
Julie Castle, BFAS CEO, told Newsweek the number is "reflective of the public's increased support for no-kill programming and the collective action of pet-loving people across the country."
She said the U.S. is "moving in the right direction," pointing out the "inspiring" statistic that four states: Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, have achieved and maintained no-kill for at least a year.
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Eight other states—Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming—only need to "save fewer than 500 additional pets to save every adoptable pet in their state," she added.
"What really gives me hope is that our data shows that millions of households across the country will add a pet to their family this year, and if just one in 17 more of those families chose to adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, we could reach no-kill nationwide."
Castle is optimistic that the U.S. will achieve this, and said that when BFAS began in 1984, "there were 17 million pets dying in shelters each year"—down to 1 million in 2016, and around 425,000 in 2024.
"We are now at a time where the 90 percent or above benchmark for shelters to be no-kill is not only widely accepted but has also become the new normal. Nearly two out of three shelters are achieving this lifesaving goal," Castle said.
She pleaded for people to continue "adopting, fostering, volunteering, donating or even sharing dogs and cats from their local shelter or rescue groups on social media channels," and shared a story of how these actions can have real-life effects.
In February, an LA-based animal services employee reached out to Best Friends about a Malinois mix puppy, Nicky, who "would have been killed as he required a bit more care," including a jaw facture. The employee told BFAS straight out: "He is an awesome dog who is full of life. He has some medical issues and needs to see a specialist. If a rescue doesn't take him, he will be euthanized."
BFAS immediately picked up the dog, got him medical treatment, and Nicky is now up for adoption—though as Castle said, "hopefully not for long."
"This is too often the case for dogs like Nicky," Castle said.
"The shelters do not have the resources to help with special cases, which is why partnership with animal rescue groups and the community is so important and critical to pet lifesaving."
Multiple states need to save less than a thousand pets in order to reach no-kill, including Connecticut and Wyoming at an estimated 200, Massachusetts at 300, Idaho and Nebraska at 450, Minnesota at 500, and Oregon at 800.
Some states, however, have much further to go: Texas is estimated to have to save a further 86,000 shelter animals, California 62,400, and North Carolina 35,300, on the other end of the scale.
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