Dog being walked by a person next to a brick wall

Advancements in our lifesaving technology and a sneak peek of our 2023 data analysis

AI and machine learning have transformed how most major industries operate, allowing them to anticipate trends and forecast business performance more accurately than ever before. Imagine using that same technology to clearly see the path ahead for your organization and community, and to act proactively to maximize your resources and programming, and to coordinate staffing and support where it's needed most.

With Best Friend’s data tools like our Pet Lifesaving Dashboard, the new Shelter Pet Data Alliance platform, and our new predictive data model (more on this coming soon!), that reality is much closer than we ever thought possible!

Now, as we look back at 2023 data, we have a more comprehensive dataset than ever before, with data from 93% of all shelters and rescues. You can login to SPDA today to see your organization’s data and compare it with more than 7,700 organizations across the United States.

Our team is currently analyzing all our data, and pairing it with our new predictive data model, to prepare key findings from 2023 and corresponding resources to help you put the findings into action in the coming weeks. Today, we are excited to share some enlightening high-level trends.

2023 Data Analysis Sneak Peek

Because ongoing challenges from the pandemic have affected animal shelters in different ways, Best Friends has focused on modeling how communities and shelters have recovered as they continue to adjust to the “new normal”:

The national save rate is now 83.4%.
Nationally, intake numbers did not change and remained at levels lower than prior to the pandemic. Post-pandemic shelter intake peaked in 2022 and held steady in 2023 at approximately 4.76 million.
Modeling 2023 year-over-year has shown that shelters with a larger share of dog intake were the most likely to suffer setbacks in lifesaving from 2022 to 2023.
Each community and state did not equally experience setbacks and progress. For example, in California, we’re seeing evidence that for every one shelter that had progress in lifesaving, there were two that had setbacks.
Despite the very real challenges facing most shelters, 67% of shelters across the U.S. maintained their save-rate in 2023, while 15% of shelters made lifesaving progress, and 18% regressed.
Initial 2023 data showed changing policies around intake of community cats and implementing TNVR programs significantly improved cat lifesaving in many communities.

Graphic from Shelter Pet Data Alliance that in 2023, 67% of shelters maintained their save rate (15% increased, 18% regressed) and the national save rate is 83.4%

We know that no two shelters are the same, and our data continues to prove that fact. We are using our new predictive data model created by our expert data science team to look at an individual shelter's history and environmental characteristics to determine their specific needs. That means we can provide an increasingly customized approach to help individual shelter partners work proactively to save more lives.

Our teams are putting these tools to use to provide meaningful lifesaving support where and when it is needed most. Soon, we will be able to share the most accurate, tailored, and actionable data insights available to you, our network partners, allowing you to operate with the same level of insight and utilize tailored resources.

Best Friends created Shelter Pet Data Alliance because we wanted to gather current data straight from the source and empower organizations like yours to make timelier, data-informed programmatic decisions, in the same way we do at Best Friends.

SPDA and the technology that our Data Science team have developed is truly unique. So much so that there is a patent-pending on SPDA to ensure that this tech will not be pirated for profit to the exclusion of the beneficial use by animal welfare organizations like yours. Data transparency and access are important to us, and we made the decision to seek this patent ensure this, and future innovations, will continue to help you save lives for years to come.

SPDA is not simply a data collection tool – it is an ever-evolving, interactive platform to assist you in analyzing your data and comparing it to other groups. If you haven’t already, I invite you to visit Shelter Pet Data Alliance to see how your data compares with other local organizations and national trends.

Holly Sizemore