It sounds like comparing rates across shelters and areas is fraught with problems per Merritt Clifton's and Ed Boks' comments. Do you see it better as an internal measure?
Augusta, yes, after Merritt stopped publishing the national ratings, I continued to use the PCR locally. It is a great tool for explaining to a community the real impact of funding and program initiatives. If enough directors use this tool locally, eventually we'll have enough state and national data to understand the impact at those levels.
Thank you, Ed, for recognizing the value of PCR, & for giving it a name, which I never managed to do despite calculating it for every major metropolitan area in the U.S. for 20 years. I quit doing this after 2014 because, besides being enormously time-consuming, the input data had become grossly distorted by animal shelters in many communities trying to reach a 90% live release rate by simply not taking in problematic animals––which, in the case of animal control shelters, meant not doing the job of protecting the public from dangerous animals, especially pit bulls. It is no accident that as live release rates soared over the past 20 years, dog attack deaths per year more than quadrupled, and insurance industry payouts tripled even as 13 major underwriters' groups quit insuring bully breeds. Unfortunately, continuing to compile and publish my annual national PCR tables had begun to reward bad behavior by shelter directors as much, or more, than responsible intake policies. This was, & remains, a colossal disappointment.
Merritt, thank you for the incredible work you've done over the years. Your PCR metric has been instrumental in shaping my own understanding of the animal welfare landscape, both in large metropolitan areas and smaller communities. It’s amazing to think about the sheer volume of data you collected and analyzed year after year—such a massive effort that has truly benefited colleagues across the country.
It’s unfortunate that the push for higher live release rates has come at the cost of responsible intake policies in many areas. I share your disappointment and hope we can continue to advocate for transparency and accountability in the field.
The case studies you share are an excellent way to tangibly understand how effective this measurement can be. I truly hope it gets adopted broadly! I volunteer in a community where three shelters exist but don’t collaborate. This measurement could drive community solutions which would benefit both the people and the animals. Keep up the great work!
I agree, Yvonne, the PCR would give your community a meaningful benchmark that, if adopted, could drive collaboration. In fact, outside pressure could be applied if the local media (or other "watchdog group") saw the value of this metric and started tracking the monthly and annual reports from the three shelters - and then sharing this information with the community. Just a thought...
Excellent essay on metrics to measure the “euthanasia “ issue. Outstanding, really. I wrote a more eloquent comment and hit send just when my internet went south for no reason! So it’s the middle of the night and I’m really sleepy but wanted to tell you how great this is. Do you know if Best Friends Org. out of Utah is partnering with shelters to decrease euthanasia rates as they have in the past? Another point I made earlier was a friend called just yesterday from Oregon where they have very few animals available for adoption. We in SC are absolutely overwhelmed and rescues now partner with others in the NE to preadopt pets and charter planes to deliver them to their destinations where comfy indoor homes are available. I wonder if you have thoughts on the variable rates of community engagement in differing parts of the nation. It is clearly not equivalent. Thank you for this article. Kudos!
Thank you, Judith, for the kind words, and for appreciating the value of this concept! I am talking to a couple shelter CRM providers about incorporating this data collection into their programs. There is some interest. Time will tell. With respect to national organizations, like the one you mentioned, their focus is not saving animals, despite the hype, as disappointing as that sounds. Their focus is fundraising to support exorbitant salaries and lavish lifestyles.
I neglected to respond to your question about pet population by regions. You are quite right. The northern tier states have a much less severe problem. We are primarily grappling with pet overpopulation issues in the southern states, which is why there are so many transport programs from the south to the northern states. I've been on both sides of these programs as a receiver and a transporter and I know for a fact how beneficial these programs can be.
I love that PCR provides a common frame of reference that transcends geographical boundaries, fostering a sense of collective purpose and camaraderie among shelters. This allows for smaller jurisdictions to evaluate themselves on a more level playing field!
Thanks, Melissa! I know that if we can get local shelters to commit to applying this metric to their policies, programs and budgets it would be a game changer!
It sounds like comparing rates across shelters and areas is fraught with problems per Merritt Clifton's and Ed Boks' comments. Do you see it better as an internal measure?
Augusta, yes, after Merritt stopped publishing the national ratings, I continued to use the PCR locally. It is a great tool for explaining to a community the real impact of funding and program initiatives. If enough directors use this tool locally, eventually we'll have enough state and national data to understand the impact at those levels.
Thank you, Ed, for recognizing the value of PCR, & for giving it a name, which I never managed to do despite calculating it for every major metropolitan area in the U.S. for 20 years. I quit doing this after 2014 because, besides being enormously time-consuming, the input data had become grossly distorted by animal shelters in many communities trying to reach a 90% live release rate by simply not taking in problematic animals––which, in the case of animal control shelters, meant not doing the job of protecting the public from dangerous animals, especially pit bulls. It is no accident that as live release rates soared over the past 20 years, dog attack deaths per year more than quadrupled, and insurance industry payouts tripled even as 13 major underwriters' groups quit insuring bully breeds. Unfortunately, continuing to compile and publish my annual national PCR tables had begun to reward bad behavior by shelter directors as much, or more, than responsible intake policies. This was, & remains, a colossal disappointment.
Merritt, thank you for the incredible work you've done over the years. Your PCR metric has been instrumental in shaping my own understanding of the animal welfare landscape, both in large metropolitan areas and smaller communities. It’s amazing to think about the sheer volume of data you collected and analyzed year after year—such a massive effort that has truly benefited colleagues across the country.
It’s unfortunate that the push for higher live release rates has come at the cost of responsible intake policies in many areas. I share your disappointment and hope we can continue to advocate for transparency and accountability in the field.
Thanks again for all you've contributed.
The case studies you share are an excellent way to tangibly understand how effective this measurement can be. I truly hope it gets adopted broadly! I volunteer in a community where three shelters exist but don’t collaborate. This measurement could drive community solutions which would benefit both the people and the animals. Keep up the great work!
I agree, Yvonne, the PCR would give your community a meaningful benchmark that, if adopted, could drive collaboration. In fact, outside pressure could be applied if the local media (or other "watchdog group") saw the value of this metric and started tracking the monthly and annual reports from the three shelters - and then sharing this information with the community. Just a thought...
I like this idea.
Excellent essay on metrics to measure the “euthanasia “ issue. Outstanding, really. I wrote a more eloquent comment and hit send just when my internet went south for no reason! So it’s the middle of the night and I’m really sleepy but wanted to tell you how great this is. Do you know if Best Friends Org. out of Utah is partnering with shelters to decrease euthanasia rates as they have in the past? Another point I made earlier was a friend called just yesterday from Oregon where they have very few animals available for adoption. We in SC are absolutely overwhelmed and rescues now partner with others in the NE to preadopt pets and charter planes to deliver them to their destinations where comfy indoor homes are available. I wonder if you have thoughts on the variable rates of community engagement in differing parts of the nation. It is clearly not equivalent. Thank you for this article. Kudos!
Thank you, Judith, for the kind words, and for appreciating the value of this concept! I am talking to a couple shelter CRM providers about incorporating this data collection into their programs. There is some interest. Time will tell. With respect to national organizations, like the one you mentioned, their focus is not saving animals, despite the hype, as disappointing as that sounds. Their focus is fundraising to support exorbitant salaries and lavish lifestyles.
I neglected to respond to your question about pet population by regions. You are quite right. The northern tier states have a much less severe problem. We are primarily grappling with pet overpopulation issues in the southern states, which is why there are so many transport programs from the south to the northern states. I've been on both sides of these programs as a receiver and a transporter and I know for a fact how beneficial these programs can be.
I love that PCR provides a common frame of reference that transcends geographical boundaries, fostering a sense of collective purpose and camaraderie among shelters. This allows for smaller jurisdictions to evaluate themselves on a more level playing field!
Thanks, Melissa! I know that if we can get local shelters to commit to applying this metric to their policies, programs and budgets it would be a game changer!
Found this very insightful