Every year, approximately 30,000 companion animals end up at the community's two largest shelters – the county-run Pima Animal Care Center (animal control) and the private nonprofit Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Almost 20,000 of those dogs, cats and other animals do not make it out of those shelters alive.
THE STATISTICS
What Happens to Animals Impounded by the Pima Animal Care Center
by Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30)
| FY2007-08 | FY2006-07 | |
| Dogs Impounded | 13044 | 12731 |
| Cats Impounded | 7176 | 7209 |
| Others Impounded | 382 | 394 |
| Total Impounded | 20602 | 20334 |
| Dogs Killed | 7098 | 6989 |
| Cats Killed | 5246 | 5514 |
| Others Killed | 200 | 244 |
| Total Killed | 12544 | 12747 |
| Dogs Died in Kennel | 106 | 156 |
| Cats Died in Kennel | 37 | 60 |
| Others Died in Kennel | 14 | 20 |
| Total Died in Kennel | 157 | 236 |
| Death Rate for Dogs | 55.23% | 56.12% |
| Death Rate for Cats | 73.62% | 77.32% |
| Death Rate for Others | 56.02% | 67.01% |
| Total Death Rate | 61.65% | 63.85% |
| Dogs Adopted | 2973 | 3795 |
| Cats Adopted | 1045 | 1538 |
| Others Adopted | 134 | 115 |
| Total Adopted | 4152 | 5448 |
| Adoption Rate | 20.15% | 26.79% |
| Dogs Rescued | 1225 | n/a |
| Cats Rescued | 725 | n/a |
| Others Rescued | 23 | n/a |
| Total Rescued | 1973 | n/a |
| Rescue Rate | 9.58% | n/a |
| Dogs Reclaimed by Owner | 1642 | 1791 |
| Cats Reclaimed by Owner | 123 | 97 |
| Others Reclaimed by Owner | 11 | 15 |
| Total Reclaimed by Owner | 1776 | 1903 |
| Reclaim Rate | 8.62% | 9.36% |
| Save Rate for Dogs | 44.77% | 43.88% |
| Save Rate for Cats | 26.38% | 22.68% |
| Save Rate for Others | 43.98% | 32.99% |
| Total Save Rate | 38.35% | 36.15% |
SOURCE: Pima Animal Care Center Monthly Animal Count Reports
NOTES: Prior to FY2007-08, rescued animals were counted in the adoption statistics. According to a June 14, 2007, news article in the Tucson Citizen newspaper, about 10-14% of all animals killed are euthanized at an owner's request (http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/byauthor/54589).
What Happens to Animals at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona
by Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30)
| FY2006-07 | ||
| Total Received | 12477 | |
| Dogs Adopted | 3580 | |
| Cats Adopted | 2692 | |
| Others Adopted | 437 | |
| Total Adopted | 6709 | |
| Total Reclaimed by Owners | 549 | |
| Total Save Rate | 58.17% | |
| Total Killed | 4476 | |
| Total DOA | 340 | |
| Total Death Rate | 38.62% | |
| Animals Remaining | 507 |
SOURCE: Humane Society of Southern Arizona 2008 Annual Report (http://www.hssaz.org/Images/financials/2008_annual_report.pdf)