Intake and Outcome Data from US Animal Shelters

This is an annual, organization-level dataset of animal (i.e., dogs and cats) intake and outcome records from U.S. sheltering organizations for 2019 through 2024. It covers a defined brick-and-mortar shelter list of approximately 3,900 organizations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, for four organization types: government animal services, shelters with a government contract, shelters without a government contract, and rescues with a government contract. It contains 17,142 records across 95 columns for 3,682 organizations. Data were acquired year-round through six channels: a shelter data platform (automated feeds and web portal entry), open-records requests to municipal agencies, incentivized outreach to non-municipal organizations, published public sources, state reporting files, and direct submission. Because collection does not rely on voluntary reporting alone, the dataset includes organizations that do not self-report. Records are governed by documented business rules, standard operating procedures, a cross-functional governance committee, and anomaly monitoring. A data dictionary is provided in the file.