From Shelter to Home

Strengthening the human-animal bond through access to care.

The animal shelters of today are often more than just adoption centers. They’re becoming community hubs for pet support, especially where veterinary care is lacking, said Gary Weitzman, DVM, MPH, CAWA – president and CEO, San Diego Humane Society (SDHS).

“In many areas, we’re the only place people can turn for help,” he said. “That means we have to think differently about service delivery, access and equity. The shelter of the future isn’t just rehoming pets – it’s preventing animals from losing their homes in the first place.”

SDHS is an open-admission shelter that cares for more than 40,000 animals each year – including everything from dogs and cats to farm animals and wildlife. SDHS also serves the community as the contracted animal services provider for 13 cities in San Diego County.

SDHS offers services beyond just shelter and adoptions. “Our programs lead the way nationally in developing best practices for saving animal lives, and we protect the human-animal bond by offering safety net services for pet families in need,” Dr. Weitzman said. “We provide advanced veterinary care, behavior and training, community support services, humane law enforcement, wildlife rehabilitation and so much more. One of our proudest accomplishments is staying at zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals in our region since 2015.”

SDHS’s biggest challenges today mirror what’s happening nationwide: rising shelter populations, reduced access to veterinary care and growing barriers for families trying to keep their pets. “The need is immense,” Dr. Weitzman said, “and it’s only increasing.”

What the numbers tell us

An estimated 5.8 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues across the U.S. in 2024, according to Shelter Animals Counts (SAC). In its 2025 Mid-Year Report, SAC reported that around 2.8 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues during the first half of 2025, marking a 4% decline from the same period in 2024. Dog intake consistently decreased month by month, while cat intake remained relatively steady, even as shelters typically face surging kitten admissions during the summer months.

Meanwhile, adoptions during the first half of 2025 reached approximately 1.9 million, but SAC noted the number is 1% lower than in the first half of 2024. Breakdown by size and age shows a 9% drop in medium dog adoptions, 6% fewer adult dog adoptions, but a 6% increase for juvenile dogs; small dogs saw a 6% adoption increase. Similarly, juvenile cats experienced a 6% rise in adoptions, while adult and senior cats saw 7% declines. Overall community outcomes (such as adoptions, returns, transfers, etc.) totaled about 2.8 million, slightly down 2% from 2024.

Nonlive outcomes – which include euthanasia, loss, or death in care – saw mixed trends: dog nonlive outcomes dropped by 5%, whereas cat nonlive outcomes increased slightly.

In July, Hill’s Pet Nutrition released its third annual State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, highlighting growing challenges for U.S. animal shelters, including declining adoption rates and longer stays – especially for large dogs – despite a decrease in overall shelter intake since 2019. In 2024, shelters saw a net increase of 103,000 animals, worsening the capacity crisis.

While 63% of Americans express willingness to adopt, actual adoption remains low, particularly among first-time owners, with financial concerns like veterinary costs and adoption fees cited as major barriers – especially among older adults. Younger generations show strong interest in high-quality pet care but face challenges like limited access to services and restrictive housing policies.

The report also noted that fostering remains underused, though younger Americans could help alleviate shelter strain if barriers were reduced. Positively, 95% of pet owners who received post-adoption support when considering surrender chose to keep their pets.

That post adoption support is critical, according to those who spoke with Vet-Advantage. Indeed, the moment a pet leaves an SDHS shelter, their long-term well-being is dependent on the care and support they receive at home, Dr. Weitzman said. If pet owners can’t access affordable and timely veterinary care, that animal may be at risk of suffering – or even being returned to the shelter. “Making sure adopters can get veterinary care isn’t just good for pets and the people who love them, it’s essential for shelter sustainability.”

The same goes for pet owners who do not adopt, but purchase from a breeder. When they can no longer afford to care for their pet, the animal is often surrendered to a shelter.

Cost and accessibility are the biggest barriers. Veterinary clinics are overwhelmed, and prices have risen significantly, Dr. Weitzman said. Many families – especially those in underserved communities – are forced to make heartbreaking decisions simply because they can’t afford care or find an appointment.

The SDHS operates a Community Veterinary Program that offers affordable medical care to pets of families in need. The organization also provides low-cost vaccine, microchip and spay/neuter services. “Our goal is to keep pets out of shelters and with their families – where they belong,” Dr. Weitzman said.

Ensuring veterinary access makes all the difference in the long-term success of pet adoptions. “We know that pets are more likely to stay in their homes if their families have access to veterinary care. It is a cornerstone of pet retention, and in today’s climate, we can’t afford to overlook that.”

On the frontlines of access to care

Today’s animal shelters are a safety net for pet owners, and more people are relying on shelters to provide supportive services they need – including pet food, emergency boarding and low-cost vaccines and veterinary care, said Mary Sarah Fairweather, vice president of sheltering, Humane Colorado. In 2024:

• 20,598 homeless pets were welcomed to Humane Colorado’s three shelter locations.

• 17,187 animals were adopted (including return to owner).

• 26,630 pets were served through Humane Colorado’s subsidized, Community Veterinary Services.

• 343,781 nights of safety were provided to animals in need at its facilities.

• 367,149 hours of TLC – including daily medical treatment, behavioral support, and tailored enrichment – were provided to the animals in the organization’s care.

As costs increase and the economy declines, the number of people who depend on shelters will continue to climb, Fairweather said. “Shelters have been leading the way in providing low-cost veterinary services and mobile veterinary resources. Shelters have also been leading the way in pushing innovative solutions for expanding access to care.”

Veterinary care is an essential part of the human-animal bond, and access to a veterinarian increases the opportunity for pet owners to learn to properly care for their pet, preventing issues that often lead to relinquishment in the future (behavior, unwanted litters, etc.).

Fairweather cited several industry studies that reinforce the importance of access to care. It has been described as “arguably the most significant animal welfare crisis affecting owned pets in the United States,” according to an Access to Vet Care Coalition report from 2019.

Pet owners who are unable to access and afford veterinary care are more likely to relinquish their pet. According to a recent PetSmart Charities study, 1 in 10 pet owners knew at least one person who had relinquished a pet to the shelter because they couldn’t afford the cost of care.

In the Hill’s report, 95% of people considering surrendering indicated they kept their pets when offered support or resources. Pet owners who can’t afford veterinary care are also more likely to delay care for their pet, which often results in conditions getting worse, or even in death. One-third of pet owners who declined veterinary care said the condition worsened. One-third of pet owners know someone whose pet passed away because they couldn’t afford care.

“We have seen an increase in animal neglect cases, particularly in rural communities, because owners cannot find and afford veterinary care,” Fairweather said.

“Studies show that pet owners rely on veterinarians not only to keep their pets healthy, but also as a primary source of information on general animal welfare practices,” she said. “Without access to veterinary care, pet owners may not hear about positive animal welfare practices or how to address animal welfare risks (like behavior issues, irresponsible breeding, declawing, tail docking, etc.) … Sadly, we see pet owners forced to make tradeoffs between their own well-being and the welfare of their pets.”

To help address these barriers, Humane Colorado provides subsidized, low-cost veterinary care at its veterinary clinic and through its mobile vaccine units.

“We are also working with lawmakers on policy solutions for addressing barriers to care, such as allowing the use of veterinary telehealth, expanding the veterinary workforce through the creation of a veterinary ‘PA’ and increasing the scope of practice for veterinary technicians,” said Fairweather.

Making stronger connections

Both SDHS and Humane Colorado work toward ensuring veterinary access by partnering with industry stakeholders. One such partner, Petszel, has created a solution that acts as a connective layer between shelters, adopters and veterinary care. By syncing real-time with shelter software, Petszel delivers personalized post-adoption journeys that guide pet parents through their next steps, including booking veterinary visits, accessing health records, and getting trusted behavior or care advice.

At the same time, shelters get visibility into how pets are doing after adoption, while veterinary partners gain context about the pet’s background – creating a more informed, collaborative experience for everyone involved.

Petszel integrates directly with shelter software and partners with platforms like Iterable to automatically launch personalized post-adoption journeys – all without adding extra work for shelter staff. Adopters receive timely, relevant support, from care tips to veterinary resources, based on their pet’s specific profile and needs.

“For shelters, this means less manual follow-up, better visibility into adopter experiences, and powerful tools to spot and address issues early,” said Matt Russell, Petszel co-founder and CEO. “It’s a lightweight implementation with a big impact … more informed adopters, healthier pets and fewer returns.”

Petszel is designed to seamlessly connect adopters to veterinary care from day one. “We deliver focused content on the value of preventive care, along with timely check-ins and reminders to encourage adopters to schedule their first vet visit,” Russell said. “Through our eBooking connections, scheduling is simple and immediate, reducing barriers to follow-through.”

Petszel also syncs the shelter’s medical record to ensure veterinary providers have the pet’s history upfront, making handoffs smoother and more informed. “Our provider pages highlight trusted veterinary partners, and we deliver focused, well-timed calls to action that guide pet parents to the next best step … ensuring continuity of care isn’t just encouraged, it’s enabled.”

Fairweather said adoption day is an exciting and joyful milestone for pet parents at Humane Colorado, but it can also feel overwhelming, especially for first-time adopters. Too often, all the important information is handed over in a single “waterfall” on that day, rather than being delivered at the moments that matter most. “In many cases, it’s a mix of paper packets and emails sent on Day One – materials that can easily get buried in a pet parent’s inbox,” she said.

Petszel’s platform has transformed Humane Colorado’s adoption process by making it more seamless, personalized and supportive for pet parents. Instead of overwhelming adopters with stacks of papers and emails on adoption day, Petszel integrates directly with the shelter’s system, delivering tailored resources at key moments in the journey. New adopters receive a shelter-branded experience that introduces their pet, provides access to medical records and vaccine history, and offers species and life stage-specific content. This ensures adopters feel equipped and supported right from the start, with information delivered in an organized, timely way.

“The post-adoption check-ins and survey functionality are giving Humane Colorado a level of insight into the home acclimation period we’ve never had before,” Fairweather said. “We can see potential challenges as they emerge, and adopters can easily request follow-up right from the app. More serious issues are automatically flagged for staff, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.”

Dr. Weitzman said Petszel is providing a meaningful link between the shelter and veterinary communities. “It helps bridge the gap for adopters looking for reliable, accessible care – especially after they leave our facility. Anything that makes that transition smoother helps us achieve our mission more effectively.”

Petszel’s shelter-branded post-adoption app provides search engines for veterinarians and behavior resources in the community. It also allows records to be shared seamlessly with veterinary offices. “As a provider who routinely has to sort through a hodgepodge of veterinary records when a patient is in front of me, this is the first tool I’ve found that makes that search seamless and productive,” Dr. Weitzman said.

Since launching, Petszel has onboarded over 300 shelters representing more than 600,000 annualized adoptions. The company has facilitated over 200,000 post-adoption surveys and is seeing strong engagement, with over 70% of adopters interacting with the shelter-branded app. “We’re also partnering with leading veterinary providers and industry partners to deliver timely, relevant support to pet parents in the moments that matter most,” Russell said.

Some shelter partners have seen a 30% drop in adoption returns since implementing Petszel. “And beyond the data, we listen closely to the stories shared by adopters and shelters – stories of challenges avoided, timely interventions made, and pets thriving in their new homes.”

Through its data analysis and pet owner feedback, one key learning is that pet parents are eager for guidance – they just need it to be timely, personalized, and easy to access. “We’ve also found that when shelters have real-time visibility into the adopter journey, they’re able to step in early and prevent issues from escalating,” Russell said. “And by helping pet parents connect with care from day one, we’re supporting a shift toward more proactive, preventive pet parenting.”

Advocacy

Dr. Weitzman believes every pet deserves medical care and every family deserves support, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. “Veterinary care shouldn’t be a luxury – it’s a necessity.”

To truly address this issue, he said there needs to be community-centered solutions that meet people where they are. That includes rethinking how veterinary services are delivered, how they are priced, supporting workforce development and leveraging the skills of trained professionals beyond veterinarians alone. “And of course, we need to address how pet insurance is still a rare and often unaffordable commodity.”

Along with providing subsidized care, SDHS advocates policy changes that could transform access to veterinary care across California. Dr. Weitzman said SDHS has sponsored four critical bills recently that specifically address access to care:

• “Senate Bill 1233 (Senator Scott Wilk) empowers California veterinary schools to establish high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) certification programs. These aim to expand access to low- or no-cost sterilization services for cats and dogs across the state. This bill unfortunately has not been funded so we will continue to advocate for funding for this critical need.”

• “Assembly Bill 516 (Assembly member Ash Kalra) will clarify that Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants are legally allowed to perform any task that is not explicitly prohibited by law. This would empower veterinarians to fully utilize their teams and help ease the pressure created by the national shortage of veterinarians – particularly in underserved communities and shelter settings.”

• “Senate Bill 602 (Senator Dave Cortese) will permit RVTs to conduct vaccine and parasite control ‘wellness’ appointments in clinical and shelter environments. Shelters like ours strive to provide low-cost veterinary services to the public, but we often struggle to have a veterinarian present at all times. This bill would remove that bottleneck, allowing more pets to receive preventive care safely and efficiently.”

• “Assembly Bill 1399 (Assembly member Josh Lowenthal) legalized veterinary telemedicine by allowing veterinarians to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) remotely without an in-person exam. Effective January 1, 2024, the law requires veterinarians to follow professional standards, maintain records, inform clients of limitations (e.g., 14-day cap on antibiotics), and refer cases to in-person care when necessary.”

“Access to veterinary care is now one of the most pressing issues in animal welfare,” Dr. Weitzman said. “These bills are examples of the kind of progress we need – smart, humane policies that reflect the realities of today’s veterinary landscape and expand the safety net for pets and the people who love them.”

Meeting the need

To truly address barriers to care, Fairweather believes the veterinary field must embrace alternative care models such as community clinics, home visits and telemedicine – options that are particularly appealing to younger pet owners and communities of color.

Looking ahead, Humane Colorado is focusing on advocacy and partnerships to create policy changes that improve animal welfare across the state. Fairweather also expressed excitement about using technology like Petszel to better support adopters, ensuring families have the resources and guidance they need to succeed as pet guardians. “We look forward to leveraging technology like Petszel to help set up adopters and their animals for success and support them as they navigate challenges of pet guardianship.”

SDHS is focused on expanding its community-based veterinary services and high volume spay/neuter services. SDHS’s top facilities priority is to build a Community Veterinary Hospital that will be home to a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinic for community members and a teaching center for state veterinarians and veterinary students. “Doing so requires extensive planning and permitting, and that is what we are working on now,” Dr. Weitzman said.

SDHS provided more than 22,000 spay/neuter surgeries last year, including 16,285 for shelter animals and the remainder for rescue partners, owned pets and community cats.

“While our medical teams perform an average of more than 60 spay/neuter surgeries every day, the majority of those surgeries are for pets in our shelters – which we must prioritize first to make them available for adoption,” Dr. Weitzman said. “This fiscal year, our goal will be 30,000 spay/neuter surgeries with the additional 7,000 surgeries dedicated to pet parents in our region. We recognize that there is a tremendous need for additional services for owned pets, and establishing this hospital will be a significant step forward in our ability to continue supporting pet families in our community.”

Large dogs and shelter dynamics

SAC introduced new animal-level analyses and distinctions by organization type to its mid-year report and spotlighted large dogs. Although large dogs represented just 29% of stray intakes, they made up 41% of return-to-owner outcomes, underscoring their unique role in both shelter dynamics and efforts to reduce overcrowding.

Photo credits:

• istockphoto.com/kali9
• istockphoto.com/StefaNikolic
• istockphoto.com/FatCamera
• istockphoto.com/kzenon
• istockphoto.com/Jacob Wackerhausen