Tens of thousands more dogs and cats made it out of American shelters alive in 2025. New national data from Best Friends Animal Society shows 34,000 fewer shelter deaths than the year before, the biggest year-over-year drop since 2020. Nearly four million pets found homes, and People reports that the shift pushed the country closer to the 90% save-rate benchmark widely used to define no-kill.

“2025 was a turning point for animal sheltering in the U.S., and the data shows an undeniable momentum for the movement to end the killing of healthy, treatable pets in shelters,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “The number of no-kill shelters in this country is at an all-time high, with 68% of shelters reaching this milestone last year, and of those that are not yet no-kill, nearly half have fewer than 100 additional pets to get there. This progress didn’t happen by chance or by working alone. This is a clear example of what happens when pet lovers, shelters, and rescue groups work together to save lives.”

Dogs made a breakthrough

The biggest change may be with dogs. Best Friends says dog deaths in shelters fell 8.5% from 2024 to 2025, the first meaningful decline since the pandemic years disrupted adoptions and strained shelter capacity. That matters because dogs, especially bigger ones, have been harder to place.

A recent report covered by Petfood Industry found that large dogs still stay in shelters far longer than smaller pets, often because of housing rules and cost concerns.

Cats keep gaining ground

Cats also posted a strong year. Best Friends says 83% of cats entering shelters were saved in 2025, the highest rate on record, with deaths at their lowest point yet. The group links that progress to kitten foster networks, community cat programs, and rising interest from younger adopters. That lines up with broader intake and outcome analysis from Shelter Animals Count, which found live outcomes held steady nationally even as shelters kept managing intense capacity pressure.

Why the trend matters now

The new numbers suggest sheltering is improving, but not evenly. ASPCA data shows millions of animals still enter shelters each year, and hundreds of thousands are still euthanized.

More fostering, more adoptions, better access to vet care, and stronger local support could decide whether this becomes a lasting national turn instead of a single good year.