Animal Rescue Shelters by the Numbers

Attorney Marc Rovner of East Rockaway earned his bachelor’s degree and JD from Boston University, where he graduated magna cum laude. Since 1988, Marc Rovner has worked as a title attorney and real estate counsellor, the last 16 years being at BETA Abstract LLC in Oceanside, New York. When not performing legal services, he volunteers with Puppy Love Pet Rescue, an animal welfare organization.

Across the United States there are 14,000 animal welfare organizations operating more than 3,000 shelters. By some estimates, these programs house 6 million animals a year, about a tenth of the stray population. The leading reasons domestic animals end up in rescue shelters are abandonment and being found by local animal control. Owners may also be forced to give up their animals due to behavior issues or moving to a location that doesn’t accept pets.

Half of the animals that enter rescue shelters will eventually be re-homed. Hundreds of thousands of others are returned to their owners. This number has grown as a result of the growing popularity of microchipping pets. Due to stay-at-home orders and wider awareness of adoption, 2020 was a record year for pet adoption and fostering.