Length-of-stay benchmarks

How long do dogs and cats typically stay in a shelter? These benchmarks are computed from 653,384 completed stays with a live or recorded outcome. Use them as a reference point, not a target: every shelter's mix of animals is different.

Median = half of animals left sooner than this. 90th percentile = 9 in 10 animals left sooner. Rows with fewer than 50 stays are hidden. Stays are measured in calendar days from intake to outcome; same-day outcomes count as 0. Animals still in care aren't included, so recent periods understate long stays. Full methodology.