492 Adoptions and Counting: Q1 2026 Update

Let’s talk about some numbers. (Yes, I’m one of those people who gets excited about spreadsheets. No, I won’t apologize for it.) Because every number on a shelter report represents a real animal. A real story. A brand new family.

So let me share some numbers from our first quarter of 2026 (Jan 1 – March 31, 2026).

• 492 adoptions. That’s a 26% increase over the same period last year. 103 more animals for their perfect match over Q1 2025.
• 97.91% save rate. Up from 97.45% in Q1 2025, and well above our 95.2% for all of 2025.
• 229 transfers from Florida municipal and rural shelters. Animals who needed a second chance and a path to adoption.
• 571 spay/neuter surgeries. Every one of them preventing future litters from entering an already strained system.
• 263 pets in foster care. Getting the individualized attention they needed outside our walls.
• 4,612 volunteer hours. That’s you. Showing up, walking dogs, socializing cats, helping us save lives.

These aren’t just metrics. They’re lives.

What’s Behind the Numbers

A 97.91% save rate doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of intentional, daily work.

Over the past year, we’ve rebuilt how we care for animals at PBHSN. We implemented structured playgroups based on the Dogs Playing for Life model, in fact, Dogs Playing for Life are visiting our shelter next week to provide a month long training session for our team. These structured playgroups and our continual expansion of that program means our dogs are getting regular, supervised social time with other dogs. “Every dog, every day.” That’s DPFL’s slogan and it’s our goal. And it’s not just enrichment (though it is a BIG part of it). It’s assessment. Every playgroup tells us something about how a dog interacts, what they need, and who they might be a great match for. More data! And this information helps our matchmakers make their perfect matches.

We’ve formalized our pathway planning process, which means every animal in our care is reviewed regularly by a team that includes our medical, behavioral, and operations staff. We’re not just asking “is this animal still here?” We’re asking “what does this animal need to find their way to their forever home, what barriers or roadblocks are in the way, and how do we remove them and get them home?” We work urgently and intentionally. Their stories are our accountabilities. And we take that very seriously.

We’ve brought in outside expertise. Behavioral consultants. Shelter medicine professionals from the University of Florida’s Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program. We’re not guessing. We’re implementing best practices that have been proven to work at shelters across the country. I wrote a blog about our Compassionate Care process last month, take a look if you haven’t read it yet.

And we’ve invested in our transfer partnerships, bringing in animals from rural and municipal shelters across Florida that don’t have the resources or adopter base we do. Those 229 transfers represent lives that might not have had options otherwise.

None of this is flashy. Most of it happens behind the scenes. But it’s the reason we can look at a quarter like this one and see real, measurable progress.

The Long-Stay Wins

Here’s the part that hits the best.

In Q1 alone, we found homes for 14 animals who had been with us for more than a year. These are the ones that take patience. The ones who needed the right match, not just any match. Even better? We helped 7 dogs and cats who had been here for more than 745 days find their forever someones!

Annie waited 845 days. Mister, 826. Chase, 821. Tootsie, 803.

Annie

Mister

Tootsie

Chase

Plus Lucille (751 days), Zelda (747 days), and Klover (746 days)… all just since February! And now they’re home.

I’m not going to pretend that’s easy. Long-stay animals take resources. They take creativity. They take care, love and attention. They take a team that refuses to give up. But when Tootsie (and the rest) finally walked out of here with her people… that’s the whole point. (Isn’t it a great adoption photo?) That’s what we’re doing this for.

What This Means Going Forward

We’re not done. We’re not even close to done.

The systems we’ve built are working, but they only work because people show up. Staff who care deeply about every animal in our building. Volunteers who give hours every week. Fosters who open their homes. Donors who make it all possible. Transfer partners who trust us with their animals.

A save rate like this isn’t a trophy. Ultimately, it’s just another data point. But behind the data point it represents responsibility. It means we’re doing the work, we’re doing our very best to do it the right way, and we need to keep doing it.

So thank you. To everyone who logged a volunteer hour, wrote a check, shared a post, fostered a kitten, or adopted one of ours… you’re part of these numbers. You’re part of these lives.

Here’s to Q2 being even better than Q1!