Research & Data

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Human & Pet Vulnerability Study

The goal of this analysis is to understand shelter intake and outcomes in the context of human vulnerability when faced with crisis.  

Data explanation text box

DATA INSIGHTS 

  • Only 29.0% of the nation's total population lives in high vulnerability counties, yet 53.4% of the nation’s shelter animals that were killed were in these counties.  
  • A higher percentage of the nation’s net intake1 occurs in high vulnerability counties (38.9%) than in moderate or low vulnerability counties (35.8% and 25.4% respectively). 
  • Strays make up a higher rate of intake in high vulnerability counties (40.4%) than in the nation overall (37.3%). 
  • Animals are transferred out of shelters in high vulnerability counties at a higher rate (18.4%) than in the nation overall (14.5%), while animals are transferred into shelters in low vulnerability counties at a higher rate (14.6%) than in the nation overall (9.5%).  
  • In high vulnerability counties, the rate of adoptions is 35.1%, which is significantly lower than the national rate of 45.4%.  
  • A lower percentage of animals taken in are returned to owner in high vulnerability counties (10.8%) than in low vulnerability counties (13.5%) and the nation overall (12.0%). 
  • Moderate and low vulnerability counties have higher rates of owner requested euthanasia outcomes (2.2% and 1.9%, respectively) than high vulnerability counties (1.4%). 
SVI Rates of Intakes and Outcomes by Type chart
*Net intake is total intake less transfers to prevent double-counting of the same animal

TOP 5 PRIORITY STATES

  • 88.7% of the total shelter animals killed in CA are in high vulnerability counties, which comprise 57.3% of the state’s population.
  • 66.8% of the total killed in TX are in high vulnerability counties while 59.6% of TX population is in high vulnerability counties.
  • 53.8% of total killed in NC are in high vulnerability counties but only 31.0% of the population lives in those counties.
  • 38.4% of the total killed in FL are in high vulnerability counties while only 25.1% of the population lives in those counties. (FL has a higher percentage of animals killed in moderate vulnerability counties than the other top states). 
  • Although only 58.8% of the population lives in high vulnerability counties in LA, 80.5% of the animals killed live in those areas.   

Heat Map of U.S. showing priority states

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Samantha Hill 
Business Intelligence and Strategy 
Best Friends Animal Society