Intake surge planning for animal shelters

Intake isn't steady. Most shelters see a spring and summer rise, and kitten season can double cat intake in a few weeks. Planning for the surge before it arrives is the difference between a busy month and a crowded one. Shelter Animals Count also reports intake peaks in spring and summer nationally.³

What the open data shows

The table shows each shelter's average monthly dog intake as a percent of its own monthly average (100 = a typical month), in full calendar years.

Shelter (dogs)	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Austin, TX	107	99	105	94	106	104	102	99	99	99	93	94
Dallas, TX	116	104	106	95	97	103	105	93	93	98	92	98
Long Beach, CA	103	98	99	92	100	111	109	109	101	98	93	89
Louisville, KY	96	97	105	101	98	95	103	101	97	106	104	98
Montgomery County, MD	91	90	104	99	99	100	105	102	102	112	103	94
Norfolk, VA	97	92	110	98	103	105	102	104	101	106	93	90
San Jose, CA	99	93	100	102	93	97	114	109	93	95	102	105
Sonoma County, CA	114	91	99	97	98	92	104	103	98	103	97	104

Cats swing more. See each shelter page for both species.

Steps that help

Forecast the surge. Use last year's monthly intake and current stays to estimate population 30, 60 and 90 days out. Members can run a 30/60/90-day capacity forecast on their current population.
Get ahead on stays. Every day cut from the average stay before the surge frees space during it (ADP = admissions × stay).¹
Line up foster homes early. Recruit and train fosters, especially for kittens, before the peak. See foster program impact.
Smooth admissions where you can. The ASV guidelines support managed admission, such as intake by appointment for non-urgent surrenders and help for owners to keep their pets.¹
Plan outcome capacity. Schedule adoption events, extended hours and transfer partner slots for peak months.
Set a target population. Capacity for Care sets monthly population targets from historic intake.²

Scores and simulations are decision support to help shelters maximize lives saved and placements. They inform, but do not replace, staff judgment and the shelter's own policies.

Sources

Association of Shelter Veterinarians, Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, 2nd ed. (2022), section 2 (Population Management).
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, Capacity for Care (C4C) resources.
Shelter Animals Count, 2025 Annual Data Report.