The rate of animals that are entering animal sheltering organizations spayed or neutered at intake are falling—and the impact of that is compounding. Join Shelter Animals Count as we unveil findings from our new Altered Status Report, a five-year national analysis of spay/neuter trends in shelter populations based on exclusive animal-level data from over 260 organizations.

This session will unpack key data points by species, intake type, and region—highlighting the sharpest declines in altered status, how those shifts are influencing length of stay, and what it means for shelter capacity and community-level care. We’ll also explore the urgent need for targeted interventions to prevent further erosion in preventive veterinary access.

Special guest Dr. Julie Levy will present insights from her latest study, The Post-Pandemic Pet Sterilization Gap, providing critical context on how the pandemic exacerbated surgical shortfalls—and what we can do now to catch up.

Whether you’re working in sheltering, rescue, policy, or industry, this webinar will equip you with the data and talking points needed to understand—and respond to—one of the most pressing issues in animal welfare today.

Panelists:

Stephanie Filer, Executive Director, Shelter Animals Count
Tori Fugate, Director of Communications, Shelter Animals Count
Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, University of Florida, Shelter Medicine Program

WEBSITE LINK: https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/event/webinar-unaltered-trends-a-national-look-at-sterilization-rates-and-shelter-impact/