November 2025: A Month of Milestones, Music, and Miracles

November 2025: A Month of Milestones, Music, and Miracles at Cincinnati Animal CARE

As the season of gratitude came to a close, Cincinnati Animal CARE had more than a few reasons to celebrate. November 2025 marked one of the most successful months in our organization’s history, from record-breaking adoptions and heartwarming community partnerships to new enrichment initiatives that are changing the way we care for Hamilton County’s animals.

At the heart of every achievement was you, our community of adopters, fosters, donors, volunteers, and supporters. Because of your compassion, creativity, and commitment, hundreds of lives were changed this month. Let’s take a look back at what made November one to remember.

A Record-Breaking Month for Adoptions

Black Friday didn’t just bring shopping deals this year; it brought families together in the most meaningful way. November officially became our highest adoption month ever and capped off what is already our best adoption year in Cincinnati Animal CARE’s history.

• 5,591 total adoptions and counting in 2025! (Surpassing 2024’s previous record of 5,051)
• Highest number of dog adoptions ever recorded, already outpacing last year by 46 dogs, with December still to go
• November stands as the highest adoption month not just this year, but every year since we opened in August 2020

The star of the month was our Black Friday adoption event, which saw an astonishing 247 animals find new homes in a single weekend, including 143 dogs, 101 cats, 2 rabbits, and even 1 snake.

Every adoption represents a story: a nervous tail wag turning into a joyful leap, a shy cat finding courage in a new lap, a family opening their home and heart. None of it would have been possible without the tireless work of our staff, the dedication of our volunteers, and the community that showed up to adopt, share, and support.

To every person who waited in line, shared our posts, fostered for a weekend, or simply rooted for our animals online, thank you. You made this month historic.

Click here to watch a video recap of the event.

Good Plates: Feeding Families and Pets This Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, compassion extended beyond our shelter walls. For the third consecutive year, we partnered with Good Plates Eatery for their annual free Thanksgiving meal and coat drive in Clifton Heights, a cherished Cincinnati tradition that has served more than 5,000 meals in the past three years.

But this year, we wanted to make sure the four-legged family members were fed too. With just 72 hours’ notice, our community rallied to raise $5,000 to feed the pets of families attending the event.

From there, it was all hands on deck. A team of volunteers, cooks, and community advocates came together to prepare and serve more than 200 meals for families with pets, ensuring that everyone, human and animal alike, could share in the warmth of the holiday season.

Partnerships like this highlight what makes Hamilton County truly special: when people and pets come together, community, compassion, and love come together. We’re endlessly grateful to the Good Plates team and to every supporter who helped make this moment possible.

Click here to watch a video recap of the event!

Thanksgiving at the Shelter

While many gathered around their dining tables at home, our volunteers made sure that the dogs spending Thanksgiving at the shelter felt just as loved.

Thanks to an incredible group of community volunteers, every single onsite dog, nearly 300 in total, received a special holiday meal prepared with care. Each plate was hand-delivered, and every pup savored the warmth and flavor of the season.

It was a reminder that even when a dog’s journey home isn’t complete yet, love still finds its way to them. The wagging tails and happy faces said it all. For one day, their kennels felt a little more like home.

And while their bellies were full, their hearts are still waiting for forever families. If you’re considering adding a pet to your family this winter, there’s no better time to adopt.

Watch our shelter pups receive Thanksgiving dinner!

Giving Tuesday: $25,000 Raised for Homeless Animals

Hot on the heels of Black Friday came Giving Tuesday, and once again, our supporters proved that generosity knows no bounds. In just 24 hours, you helped us raise nearly $25,000 to support Hamilton County’s homeless cats and dogs. Your donations directly fund lifesaving medical care, enrichment, behavioral support, and daily necessities for the animals who need us most.

This campaign was supercharged by the extraordinary kindness of an anonymous donor, whose matching contribution inspired others to give. We were blown away by the response, proof that our community believes deeply in our mission to save every healthy and treatable animal.

And as a sweet ending to the story, our Giving Tuesday “spokesdog” Calgary, who helped us campaign for donations, found his forever home shortly after. It was the perfect bow on a record-breaking month.

Click here to watch our Giving Tuesday campaign video featuring the miracle puppy, Calgary!

Wild Tunes: A New Kind of Enrichment Arrives at the Shelter

November also marked the launch of an exciting new partnership bringing harmony to our kennels. Cincinnati Animal CARE officially “adopted” Wild Tunes, an innovative live music enrichment program founded by 12-year-old Houston musician and animal advocate Yuvi Agarwal.

Wild Tunes connects volunteer musicians with animal shelters to bring live music performances directly to dogs and cats in care. From gentle guitar strums to soft singing, these sessions help reduce stress, encourage socialization, and build positive associations with people.

“Music has the power to calm, connect, and heal,” said Yuvi. “Wild Tunes is a win-win opportunity that helps shelter pets associate humans with something good, while volunteers get to share their talents in a meaningful way.”

Cincinnati Animal CARE is proud to be the first Midwest shelter to partner with Wild Tunes. The program debuted with a media preview event on November 21st and its first public performances during our Black Friday adoption weekend.

Alexis Newman, Senior Behavior & Wellness Coordinator at Cincy CARE, shared:

“Our team is always exploring new ways to improve animal wellbeing. Wild Tunes is another example of how creativity and compassion can work hand in hand to give shelter pets a sense of peace in an otherwise stressful environment.”

Animal welfare researcher Dr. Anastasia Stellato of Texas Tech University agrees that even passive human presence, like listening to music, can significantly reduce stress in shelter animals.

Wild Tunes has already expanded to eight states and continues to grow nationwide. To join the program as a volunteer musician at Cincinnati Animal CARE, visit wildtunes.org.

Click to watch a Wild Tunes visit to our Colerain shelter.

Dogs Playing for Life Visits CAC Again!

This month, our Behavior and Dog Care teams spent valuable time training with our longtime partners at Dogs Playing for Life (DPFL). We’ve worked with DPFL since our organization began, and each visit helps us build safer, more enriching environments for our dogs.

DPFL is a national organization that believes a dog’s true personality shines through play. They travel the country helping shelters like ours run effective playgroups and improve communication between people and dogs.

During this visit, our teams also completed DPFL’s specialty course, Fancy Footwork, which focuses on using confident body language and clear movements to make every walk smoother, safer, and more enjoyable.

We’re grateful for DPFL’s continued partnership and the expertise they bring to our staff and shelter dogs. Every lesson learned helps us create a better experience for the animals in our care, rain or shine!

Watch a video recap of our time with DPFL.

Wrapping Up a Season of Gratitude

November’s success was built on the collective strength of our community, but the work doesn’t stop here. Every adoption, every meal, every note of music is part of a much bigger mission: to make Hamilton County a place where every animal is safe, healthy, and loved. Here’s how you can be part of the lifesaving work happening every day at Cincinnati Animal CARE:

• Adopt or Foster: Open your home to a shelter pet, even temporarily. Short-term fostering saves lives and opens kennel space for new arrivals.
• Volunteer: Join our team of compassionate individuals who walk dogs, socialize cats, assist at events, and help share our animals’ stories.
• Donate: Your gifts fund everything from medical care to enrichment programs. Every dollar makes a difference.
• Advocate: Share our posts, tell a friend about a dog or cat in need, or invite others to visit our shelter. Awareness saves lives too.

As we head into December and prepare for our annual Silent Night foster campaign, we’re reminded that none of this would be possible without you. Every success we celebrate belongs to our community, the people who believe that every life matters. From all of us at Cincinnati Animal CARE, thank you for standing beside us through another incredible year. Together, we’ve made history, and together, we’ll keep saving lives.