This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society.
Simplified: The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society has helped more pets get adopted this year than ever before. The shelter shared a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the record-breaking adoption year.
Why it matters
- The shelter saw its 4,000th adoption in late November, already about 200 more than were adopted in all of 2023 – which was also a record-breaking year. As of early December, that number has already surpassed 4,100.
- Shelter leaderships attributes the success in part to the ways in which the Humane Society has lowered the barriers to adopting, simplified the application, and focused on matching the right pet with the right owner.
- There's also a lot to be said for the shelter's consistent and engaging social media presence in helping raise awareness about the animals that are looking for a home.
"Every animal has a story, and we can share that story with social media," Community Outreach Director Dana Peterson-Konzem said. "The more we're able to get an animal's photo out there and have someone make a connection with the soulful eyes peering at them, the more likely they are to get adopted."
Tell me more about the record-breaking year
As of Dec. 3, the shelter has completed 4,117 adoptions, compared with 3,807 in all of 2023.
The 4,000th pet adopted was a 5-year-old domestic long-haired cat named Jaden.
The shelter has also made some specific and intentional changes to the adoption process to help more pets find homes.
- Just a few years ago, people with unfixed pets at home couldn't adopt a new pet. But now, since every animal leaving the shelter is fixed, that's no longer an issue.
The adoption application is also shorter and easier to fill out, and the shelter has increased its focus on making sure animals adopted are a good fit for the personality and lifestyle of its adoptive family.
"It's definitely more, 'Let's find the right match for you,' than anything else," Peterson-Konzem said.
More pets being adopted also means the shelter's euthanasia numbers have decreased dramatically, Peterson-Konzem said.
- The shelter has a 73% save rate, which means 73% of animals who come into the shelter are either adopted or given to another rescue group to connect with a new home.
- For context, a "no-kill" shelter has a 90% save rate – but those shelters often say, 'no' to animals the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society says, 'yes' to taking in.
The Humane Society doesn't euthanize due to space available or breed of an animal. It only occurs when an animal is medically too far gone to be helped or if an animal is deemed a danger to the community.
The shelter's core values have also had a marked impact on its work.
"Having transparency as one of our core values has really changed mindsets and helped us help our community a lot more," Peterson-Konzem said.
What happens next?
The work continues to help as many animals as possible find a home.
You can support the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society by adopting a pet, becoming a volunteer or donating money to support the shelter's work.
