Pet News · Research
Shelter intake is down for the second straight quarter
National data shows returns falling as low-cost spay and neuter clinics expand across the Southeast.
Daniel Reyes
News Editor · August 18, 2026 · 4 min read
Aggregated intake numbers from more than 1,100 US shelters show a second consecutive quarterly decline, driven mostly by fewer owner surrenders rather than fewer strays.
Analysts credit the expansion of low-cost spay and neuter capacity in the Southeast, where clinic wait times had stretched past four months in 2024.
The caveat is length of stay. Even as intake falls, large dogs are staying longer, which keeps kennels full and adoption events crowded with the same faces month after month.
Last updated August 26, 2026.
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