Calculations
Capacity Calculations
Acronyms: PBC
Definition: The percentage of total intakes that have had an outcome
How to Calculate:
Total Outcomes / Total Intakes
Considerations: Determining what portion of animals entering the shelter have left with an outcome helps to understand population in the shelter and whether or not that population is remaining in balance
Acronyms: LOS
Definition: How long are animals staying in your care before having an outcome
How to Calculate:
Date of Outcome – Date of Intake
Considerations: This only includes animals that have had an outcome. Averages or medians are typically used when discussing length of stay at an aggregate level. Length of stay can be calculated on various sub-populations of animals such as by species, age, foster vs. in-shelter, etc. to see if there are any populations that are experiencing a bottleneck.
Definition: How long are animals currently in your care
How to Calculate:
Current date – Date of intake
Considerations: This only includes animals that have NOT had an outcome. Averages or medians are typically used when discussing days in care at an aggregate level. Days in care can be calculated on various sub-populations of animals such as by species, age, foster vs. in-shelter, etc. to see if there are any populations that are experiencing a bottleneck.
Intake and Outcome Calculations
Definition: Total animals entering the shelter
Best practices/Considerations When Using: Typically used when looking at shelter-level data
Definition: Total animals entering the shelter minus transfers in from other agencies.
Best practices/Considerations When Using:
– Typically used when aggregating intakes at state/region/national levels to prevent “double counting” of animals being transferred after initial intake type.
– Assumes that animals being transferred were already accounted for in another intake type by another organization also in the data set.
Definition: Aggregate count of animals that left the shelter’s care through a live placement. Includes: Adoption, Return to Owner, Return to Field, Transfers Out, Other Live Outcomes
Definition: Aggregate count of animals that left the shelter’s care through a live outcome, excluding transfers out.
Best Practices/Considerations When Using: Removing transfers out prevents “double counting” of live outcomes for an animal that is transferred and then has a “final” outcome
*Assumes that transfers have another outcome
Acronyms or AKA: Community Live Outcomes
Definition: Aggregate count of animals that left the care of shelter via non-live outcome
Definition: The percentage of total intakes that are a specific intake type
How to Calculate:
[Intake Type] / Total Intakes (gross)
Considerations: Understanding what your organization’s intakes consist of allow for better program development.
Use Cases:
– Your organization has a large percentage of owner surrenders which could indicate that there is an increased need for pet support in your community
– Your organization notices that a high percentage of cat intakes are strays, which may indicate a need for spay/neuter, TNR or return to owner resources in a specific service area
Definition: The percentage of total outcomes that are a specific outcome type
How to Calculate:
[Outcome Type] / Total Outcomes
Considerations: Understanding what outcome types make up the majority of your organization’s total outcomes allows your organization to identify areas of strengths and improvements for programming.
Use Cases:
– If adoptions are decreasing as a percentage of total outcomes, what outcomes increased? Is there a need for concern or program changes?
Definition: The percentage of animals entering the shelter that are leaving by a certain outcome type
How to Calculate:
[Outcome Type] / Total Intakes (gross)
Considerations: Outcomes as a percentage of intake allow you to see that portion of animals actually coming into your organization’s care, leave by a specific outcome. For example, if your intake is decreasing, outcomes will also decrease. Therefore, if you look at the outcome rate of intake, you may find that more animals entering the shelter are leaving via specific outcomes.
Other Industry Calculations
Definition: Of animals with an outcome, LRR is the percentage of animals that leave with a live outcome.
Calculation: Live Outcomes / Total Outcomes
Metrics included in calculation:
– Live Outcomes include adoptions, transfer out, return to owner, return to field, other live outcomes.
– Total Outcomes include adoptions, transfers out, return to owner, return to field, other live outcomes, died in care, lost in care, shelter euthanasia and owner-intended euthanasia. *
Considerations: Does not take into account how many animals enter the shelter, and any animals without an outcome are excluded.
*Organizations that use Live Release Rate (LRR) typically include owner-intended euthanasia (or owner-requested euthanasia) in their total outcomes to account for all animals with non-live outcomes that have entered the shelter.
National organizations known to use this calculation: APA!, AmPA!, HASS. Shelter Animals Count does not use this calculation.
Definition: Save rate is the percentage of animals entering an organization that do NOT leave by a non-live outcome.
Calculation: (Total Intakes – Non-live Outcomes) / Total Intakes
Metrics included in calculation:
– Non-live Outcomes include died in care, lost in care, shelter euthanasia, and owner-intended euthanasia
– Total Intakes include stray, relinquished by owner, transfers in*, owner-intended euthanasia, seized, other intakes.
For reference, the save rate typically includes live outcomes such as adoption, transfer out, return to owner and return to field, as well as animals who do not have an outcome.
Considerations: It assumes that all animals have an outcome; those without an outcome and still in the shelter system are presumed to be saved.
*Transfers in are only included in the Save Rate Gross Calculation. They are excluded in Save Rate Net, which can be used to aggregate data at the county, state and national levels.
National organizations known to use this calculation: Best Friends Animal Society. Shelter Animals Count does not use this calculation.