2024 Recap: Celebrating a Year of Lifesaving Success at Cincy CARE
A Year of Lifesaving: How Our Community Helped Transform Thousands of Animal Lives in 2024
As we reflect on 2024, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for our community. Together, we made an extraordinary impact on the lives of thousands of animals. Each number represents a life touched, a story rewritten, and a new beginning. This year’s success is a testament to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and supporters who make our lifesaving mission possible. Let’s take a closer look at what we accomplished together.
Animals In Our Care
This year, 8,243 unique animals found refuge at Cincinnati Animal CARE, including 3,180 cats, 5,012 dogs, and 51 other animals like rabbits, chickens, and even opossums. Each animal arrived with its own story, and our team ensured every single one received compassionate care. From behavioral assessments by our incredible Behavior and Training Team to daily walks with our dog care staff and volunteers, each dog experienced love and enrichment. Every cat and dog underwent thorough medical evaluations and received vital treatments, from vaccines to life-changing surgeries. Each life mattered, and each story is a testament to our commitment.
Finding Forever Homes
This year, 5,051 animals were adopted into loving homes, including 2,198 cats, 2,804 dogs, and 49 other animals ranging from guinea pigs to goldfish. That’s over 5,000 lives forever changed because our community chose to adopt, not shop. Many of these adoptions were thanks in-part to BISSELL Pet Foundation for sponsoring adoption fees so we could offer reduced adoption fees to our community. From first-time pet parents to seasoned adopters, you stepped up to give rescue animals a chance in 2024, proving that love has no limits.
Partnering for Lifesaving Success
Our rescue partners were invaluable in 2024, helping us transfer 582 animals, including 315 cats, 260 dogs, and even a few rabbits, chickens, and opossums, to shelters and rescues across the tri-state area. Their dedication ensures that animals in need continue to find pathways to safety and care. At the same time, we welcomed 1,060 animals from other shelters, including those affected by emergencies like Hurricane Helene. Thanks to our community’s willingness to foster and adopt, we played a critical role in disaster response efforts and helped shelters in crisis.
Reuniting Families
Reunification is one of the most heartwarming parts of our work. This year, 1,058 animals were reunited with their families, including 46 cats, 1,011 dogs, and even a snake named Brad! Thanks to microchips, licenses, and the hard work of our Field Services team, many lost pets were able to return home without ever entering the shelter.
Supporting Our Community
Cincinnati Animal CARE is more than a shelter—we’re a resource center for pets and people. In 2024, we provided critical community support services to 523 cats and 822 dogs, including free microchips, vaccinations, and spay/neuter surgeries. Our weekly on-site vaccine clinics and quarterly community clinics, made possible by partners like Community Matters and PetCo Love Lost, ensured that pets stayed healthy and in loving homes. Our pet food pantry supported over 2,000 families, proving that a little help can go a long way in keeping pets with the people who love them.
Extraordinary Medical Care
Thanks to your support, we spent $1,570,231 on lifesaving medical care. From emergency surgeries to routine vaccinations, our medical team tackled every challenge with expertise and compassion. Whether it was an emaciated dog needing intensive care or a stray cat requiring surgery, every case reminded us why this work is so vital. In 2024, our in-house spay and neuter program was a cornerstone of our lifesaving efforts, ensuring 3,066 cats and dogs received vital surgeries to prevent overpopulation and improve their health. This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the generous funding and veterinary support provided by the BISSELL Pet Foundation—thank you for being champions for animals in need!
The Power of Volunteers
Our volunteers went above and beyond this year, walking 51,225 miles with shelter dogs (that’s twice around the Earth!) and contributing over 29,578 hours of their time. That’s the equivalent of 10 full-time staff members’ work every single day! From walking dogs to assisting at events, our 900+ active volunteers are the heart of our organization, ensuring every animal receives the care and attention they deserve.
Transforming Lives Through Foster Care
Our foster program welcomed 6,912 animals into temporary homes, including 4,934 dogs, 1,947 cats, and even guinea pigs, rabbits, and turtles. Fosters provided safe havens for animals in need, from day trips to long-term care. 964 animals avoided returning to the shelter thanks to fosters who stepped in to help when others couldn’t. Our Foster-to-Adopt program continued to grow, with 1,064 dogs starting trial adoptions, and 2,143 day trips gave dogs a chance to decompress and explore the world beyond the shelter.
Always Here for the Community
Our Call Center answered over 100,000 phone calls in 2024, connecting people to services, reuniting lost pets with their families, and responding to animals in need. Our Field Service agents were dispatched to 16,195 of those calls this year to provide community services. Whether it’s a concerned citizen or an animal in crisis, we’re here to help!
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate the incredible milestones of 2024, we’re reminded that none of this would be possible without you—our community of adopters, fosters, volunteers, donors, and advocates. Your unwavering support allows us to continue our lifesaving mission and provide hope to animals in need. Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we’re creating a brighter future for Hamilton County’s animals—one life at a time.
