On Sunday afternoon, three young, healthy dogs were facing euthanasia at a shelter in Los Angeles, California.
“[They were] all three perfect, young, and healthy dogs,” Courtney Tillia, president of Minnie’s Mutts Rescue in Los Angeles, told Newsweek. “And the only reason they were set to be euthanized was because they were exhibiting signs of being stressed and scared.”
Determined to help, Tilla and fellow rescuers scrambled to find adopters or fosters to help. Two of the dogs, young females, found homes just in time. But Ricky, the remaining male dog, was still facing euthanasia.
“I could not stop thinking about him,” Tillia said. “I prayed for a miracle: a rescue sending an email to save him; or the vet calling out for the day. Anything.”
That miracle came early Monday morning. Ricky was still alive, with a new deadline of 3 p.m. But there was still no foster, no adopter, and no plan.
That was when Tillia stepped in herself. “With absolutely nothing in place … my husband and I saved Ricky,” she said.
Euthanasia in Shelters
In 2024, approximately 5 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters.
In 2024, approximately 748,000 dogs and cats experienced non-live outcomes—defined as euthanasia, death in care, or being lost in care. While this figure represents a 1.6 percent decrease from 2023 and a substantial 20 percent drop compared to 2019, it remains a significant concern for the animal-welfare sector.
The overall reduction was driven largely by improvements for cats, whose non-live outcomes fell 3 percent from 2023 and 37 percent from 2019. But, by contrast, dogs made up an increasing proportion of non-live outcomes, rising from 36 percent in 2019 to 50 percent in 2024.
Canines’ euthanasia rate also grew from 7 percent to 9 percent over the same period, reflecting persistent challenges in finding homes for dogs—particularly large breeds, which face the longest shelter stays.
Data shows that shelter euthanasia accounts for the majority of non-live outcomes—89 percent for dogs and 79 percent for cats—with the remainder due to dying or being lost in care.
Government-run shelters are particularly impacted, seeing a 1.5 percent rise in dog non-live outcomes in 2024, now 17.5 percent higher than in 2019.
For Ricky, the story has ended positively, and his happiness was clear.
“His face leaving the shelter is priceless,” Tilla said. “He knew how close he was to not making it out, and his love, joy and gratitude can be felt.”
Ricky is still in need of a forever home, but, for now, he is safe and enjoying home comforts after a period of uncertainty that is sadly very common in shelters across the country.
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