Press Release

 

ASPCA Reports Pet Adoptions Up, Intake & Euthanasia Down in Tampa

 

1st Quarter 2009 & Year-Long 2008 Stats Show Success of ASPCA® Mission: Orange™ Campaign

May 8, 2009

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK—A total of 2,751 cats and dogs left animal shelters alive in Tampa, Fla. during the first quarter of 2009, 294 more than the first quarter of 2008, according to statistics provided by the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) during the second year of its ASPCA® Mission: Orange™ campaign in Tampa.

Adoptions increased, while intake and euthanasia of unwanted animals decreased, leading to a 7.1  percentage point increase in the overall live release rate year-over-year for the first quarter of 2009 compared to 2008. This follows a 6.7 percentage point increase in overall live release rate last year, which rose from 23.1 percent in 2007 to 29.8 percent in 2008. Live release rate refers to the percentage of animals that exited the shelter system alive, via adoption, return-to-owner, or transfer to another agency for adoption.

Adoptions were up 28 percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared to the first quarter of 2008 following an overall adoptions increase of 48 percent in 2008 over the previous year (6,881 total compared to 4,636 in 2007). Intake dropped seven percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared to the first quarter of 2008 (6,473 compared to 6,931). Euthanasia also dropped 17 percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared to the first quarter of 2008 following an overall euthanasia decrease of 10 percent in 2008 over the previous year (23,508 total compared to 26,047).

"These latest findings reaffirm our confidence in the power of collaboration among agencies who share a common goal—to provide positive outcomes for at-risk animals," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "We applaud the hard work and dedication of our Tampa partners in their efforts to provide positive outcomes for the homeless pets in their community."

The ASPCA Mission: Orange partners in Tampa include Humane Society of Tampa Bay (a non-profit, "no-kill" shelter), Hillsborough County Animal Services (the city-funded shelter), and No More Homeless Pets in Hillsborough County/TampaPets.org (a local coalition of rescue groups). For the campaign, the ASPCA is investing funding and resources over a three-year period to build a sustainable model that will boost live release rates of unwanted pets. The ASPCA launched its campaign in Tampa in January 2007, and is currently partnering with eight other communities (Spokane, Wash.; Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.; Austin, Texas; Charleston, S.C.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Buncombe County, S.C.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Shelby County, Ala.).

For more information about ASPCA Mission: Orange, please visit www.aspca.org/adoption/aspca-mission-orange.

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Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.
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