National Puppy Day is March 23

Abby, a 12-week-old purebred Pomeranian puppy, arrived recently at the Humane Society of Utah because her owners couldn’t afford the vet care she needed for her broken leg. That same week, the shelter received an 11-month-old French Bulldog, and seven German Shepherd puppies. In the past few months, they’ve received at least one litter of puppies each week from breeders who couldn’t sell them. Some of them are repeat surrenderers, bringing leftovers from multiple litters. 

Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, estimates that 651,000 of the 3.2M dogs entering organizations in 2023 were puppies under 5 months old. This has been steadily increasing and is 56,000 more puppies than 2019 and 28,000 more puppies than 2022. 

In November 2023, SAC conducted a survey of contributing shelters and rescues to learn about the types of dogs they receive. Nearly 90% of respondents said they were receiving puppies, which means potential puppy parents are likely to be surprised by what they can find in shelters or on sites like AdoptAPet.com, including trendy “designer dogs,” purebreds and many other magnificent mixes.

“Once considered unicorns in many parts of the country, puppies entered shelters rarely and tended to be adopted quickly,” said Stephanie Filer, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count. “Despite being wiggly and adorable with magical puppy breath, however, we have started hearing from many communities that they are so saturated with puppies needing homes that these shelter pups are waiting weeks or longer before being adopted.”

“We can celebrate National Puppy Day every day by adopting dogs and puppies from shelters and rescues,” Filer added. “Adopted pets are generally already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and often microchipped. Those services can cost hundreds of dollars, so when you adopt a pet, you not only save a life, you save a lot of money, which leaves more in your budget for future pet care.”

“Choosing to adopt from shelters or rescue groups is also the most sustainable and socially-responsible choice,” Filer said. “Adopting helps to alleviate the community pet crisis, rather than compound it.”

“We’re averaging 113 puppies in our care every single day, which is a huge increase from years past,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman, President and CEO, San Diego Humane Society. “We know there is a demand for puppies, and we are working as hard as we can to amplify the message that choosing adoption is a win for everyone involved: not only does it create much needed space in the shelter, but there is the reassurance that the puppy has been vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered and cared for by our staff to set them up for success.”

Kansas City Pet Project has had more puppies than they’ve ever had in their 12-year history. “We are seeing a massive increase in puppies coming in,” said Tori Fugate, Chief Communications Officer for Kansas City Pet Project. “Mama dogs with litters or litters of 5-10 ‘stray’ puppies that were found. Some are ‘oops’ litters from personal dogs. We’re getting young litters almost every day here. They’re still getting adopted, but at a much slower rate, most likely because of the volume. At one point in January we had over 60 available puppies, not including those in foster homes.” 

According to the new Mars State of Pet Homelessness Report for the United States, only 74% of 94.7 million owned dogs are spayed or neutered, leaving nearly 25 million dogs intact and able to breed. Some of these dogs may have been among the estimated 2.7 million pets whose spay/neuter surgeries were missed early in the pandemic, but many others are younger and were born as subsequent generations.

The Humane Society of Utah in Salt Lake City is also seeing the effects first-hand. In 2023, the organization saw a 29% increase in puppy intake over 2022, receiving 470 puppies last year. Last week alone, after a social media plea and local media attention, the Humane Society of Utah found homes for 42 puppies.

“However, this surge in puppies is not sustainable long-term, exacerbated by for-profit dog breeding practices and the inability to access spay and neuter services in all communities,” said Guinn Shuster,  Director of Marketing and Communications for the Humane Society of Utah. “We urge individuals contemplating adding a puppy to their family to consider adoption first, and note that many animal shelters are receiving dogs and puppies from breeders who are unable to find buyers for them. Choosing adoption not only gives a loving home to animals in need but also helps to reduce the challenges faced by animal shelters.”

In three SAC surveys of contributing shelters and rescue groups, organizations repeatedly urge individuals to spay or neuter their pets, adopt from shelters and rescues rather than purchasing puppies, train and socialize dogs and puppies, do research to ensure the type of dog you choose will fit your lifestyle, and foster, volunteer and donate. 

In 2023, 3.2 million dogs and puppies entered animal shelters and rescue organizations. Shelters across the country are full, and are now entering their fourth year of having too many animals and not enough adoptions—especially for dogs. Because many shelters and rescues are operating at- or over-capacity, overall intake is likely lower than it would be if space were available.

Download the full 2023 Annual Analysis report PDF here.