In partnership with California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals) and the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA), the ASPCA is thrilled to announce the results of the first-ever California Adopt-a-Pet Day, with 3,609 pets adopted into loving homes on June 1. The day-long event included more than 170 animal welfare organizations across the state working collaboratively to nearly double the original goal of finding homes for 2,024 pets. The ASPCA provided funds to cover the cost of the adoptions at participating shelters so that they were free to the public.

Of the 3,609 total pets adopted on California Adopt-a-Pet Day, there were 1,977 cats, 1,541 dogs, and 91 others, including rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small animals.

One of the pets matched with a loving family was a dog named Nelly, a 3.5-year-old mastiff mix, who had been in the care of Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter for 1.5 years after originally arriving at the shelter as a stray. Her adopter, Sahiba S., traveled 40 minutes to meet Nelly and reported that she's happily settled in her new home.

“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude by the number of Californians that visited their local shelter on June 1st, and am thrilled to find that for many, this was their very first time adopting a shelter pet,” said Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals. “Our shelters are overcrowded with a variety of wonderful animals just waiting for people to come and meet them, and it is our greatest hope that members of the public will visit shelters first when they are ready for a new pet. I want to thank all the shelters for participating in this wonderful event to promote adoptions and extend my sincere gratitude to the ASPCA and San Francisco SPCA for making this event possible. We have illustrated that by working together, we can truly make a difference.”

“On June 1, we saw just how important our animal shelters are to the people of California,” said Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, CEO of the SF SPCA. “They heard our call to action and responded in kind. As a result of this event, thousands of households are now enriched by having a special pet in their lives, and our shelters received the support and attention they deserve.”

Ahead of the June 1^st event, the ASPCA Relocation and L.A. Pee Wee Kitten teams worked together to prepare 23 kittens for the statewide adoption event. These kittens were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. After a few days of recovery, they were transported to Wallis Annenberg PetSpace and Friends of Upland Animal Shelter and made available for adoption on California Adopt-a-Pet Day.

“The success of California Adopt-a-Pet Day underscores the tremendous appeal of shelter animals and the unique power of the human-animal bond. It also is an inspiring message to shelters, pet owners, and the animal welfare community that when we come together, we can make change for animals in need,” said Matt Bershadker, President & CEO, ASPCA. “Knowing that 3,609 shelter animals found homes in a single day when national and local animal welfare groups work together is proof that collaboration is key to saving more lives not only in California but across the country.”

In recent years, California shelters have faced a large influx of animals as the result of ongoing challenges facing pet owners, including economic hardships, the difficulties of accessing pet-friendly housing and the lack of affordable veterinary care due to the shortage of veterinarians. These challenges often force families to have to make the difficult choice to part with their pets and have prevented many families from adopting new pets. California has one of the highest rates of renters in the country, and housing is one of the largest barriers for families being able to keep or adopt a pet.

The next annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day will take place in June 2025. For those interested in adopting or fostering an animal, visit ASPCA.org/TheRescueEffect to learn more.

California Adopt-a-Pet Day was managed by CalAnimals, an organization that focuses on the success of California animal welfare and sheltering organizations in meeting the needs of animals and people in their communities. The initiative is being generously supported by the SF SPCA and the ASPCA.