What does the Animal Welfare Data Center do?
Collect Public Data
We use the Public Records Act (PRA) to request public data directly from the government agencies we aim to support, such as public animal shelters, county departments, city appointed commissions, and more.
Data Analysis
Our data analysis approach transforms public data into actionable insights that can drive positive change in both animal welfare and human welfare policies, working with community stakeholders to design research objectives.
Apply Research Findings
We collaborate with community stakeholders and local, state, and federal agencies to share research findings and recommend data-driven solutions to support community advancement in animal and human welfare.
2025 Research Projects
California Animal Shelter Crisis Assessment and Intervention
California is experiencing a severe animal shelter crisis, and we’re launching a data-driven initiative to transform the state’s animal welfare system. We’re analyzing public shelter data to select facilities across California for focused research, examining key metrics:
- overall intake volumes and trends
- frequency of animal cruelty incidents in the community the animal shelter serves
- euthanasia practices and rates
- disease outbreak frequency
- behavioral effects in animals over time
- operational costs to a facility and its community
Based on our findings, we’re delivering detailed analysis reports, corrective action plans, and targeted solutions to local government agencies for implementing essential reforms.
Implementation Approach:
Phase 1 – Local Government Engagement: Present findings and remediation plans to local government agencies responsible for each shelter.
Phase 2 – State Emergency Declaration: Seek support from local leaders to request a state of emergency declaration from the Governor of California, enabling the state to take decisive action in implementing new policies.
Phase 3 – Escalation Protocol: If local support is not secured, escalate findings to the California Attorney General, including documentation of: public safety concerns, public health risks, misallocation of taxpayer resources, evidence of departmental negligence, previous attempts to address issues at local level.
Current Progress
Shelter Systems Outreached
0
Shelter Systems Responded
0
Shelter Policies Received
0
*Rows of data being analyzed
0
*Our Data Science team is actively working on cleaning, preparing, and loading data into AWDC’s centralized database for ongoing analysis. The amount of data we are analyzing will grow over time.
How does this crisis affect communities?
Well-being of humans and animals
Overcrowded living conditions and limited resources negatively affect animals’ behavior, physical health, and mental well-being. The strain on resources, combined with outdated policies, forces shelter staff to make difficult decisions that can lead to unintended negligence, lower quality standards, declining staff mental health, and declining trust from their community.
Allocation of tax-payer dollars
Public animal shelters operating outside of their capacity for care can create a substantial financial drain on taxpayers through increased operational costs, health risks, legal liabilities, property devaluation, and administrative inefficiencies.
Public Safety
Research has shown that areas with high rates of animal cruelty and neglect often see corresponding increases in domestic violence, child abuse, and other violent crimes, as perpetrators who harm animals frequently target humans as well.
Public Health
Additionally, the rendering industry’s practice of processing euthanized shelter animals into consumer products poses serious ethical and public health concerns that many residents remain unaware of, highlighting a critical issue that requires government intervention.
How can data help?
By gathering data directly from the public shelter programs we aim to support and community insights, our team of analysts and data scientists helps decision-makers understand how current shelter systems affect their communities. This evidence-based approach enables informed policy decisions that benefit both animals and humans in our society. Some of our target analysis objectives are:
Root Cause Analysis of Intake Patterns
Leveraging geographic and demographic data to understand why and where animals enter the shelter system, helping agencies develop targeted interventions and community support programs to address issues at their source.
Population Management
Using historical data and machine learning to forecast intake patterns, enabling proactive resource allocation, and help shelters prepare for seasons fluctuations or community-specific trends in animal surrenders.
Resource Optimization
Analyzing operational data to identify inefficiencies in staff scheduling, supply management, and facility utilization, leading to more cost-effective and efficient shelter operations.
Disease Monitoring and Prevention
Implementing data-driven health monitoring systems to track disease outbreaks, identify risk factors, and develop preventive protocols that protect both sheltered animals and the community’s pet population.
Outcome Analysis for Enhancement
Using statistical analysis to evaluate the success rates of various programs (adoption, foster, TNR), enabling evidence-based decisions about which initiatives deserve expanded funding and support.
Explore the AWDC Data Portal
We’ve developed a Data Portal to visualize and breakdown detailed shelter data like intake and outcome analysis by species, intake volume trends, length of stay per outcome, spay and neuter statistics on animals leaving the shelter, and our Data Science team is making continuous improvements to add more metrics and visualizations based on community feedback. Visit the Data Portal to see what insights are available and what more you would like to learn from the public animal shelter data.
Have you observed any form of abuse, neglect, or failure to treat animals in a public animal shelter?
Submit your experience to the Animal Welfare Data Center
We are working directly with state regulating entities to push for process improvement in the animal care & control system. Report an incident using the button below if you have observed or been involved in a situation with a local animal shelter that you believe posed risk to an animal's health and safety.
Report an incidentWould you like to learn and use Data Science to help animals and humans in our society?
Join our team
Discover impactful volunteer roles at the Animal Welfare Data Center, dedicated to analyzing and publishing data for systemic improvements in California's public animal shelter system.
Technical and non-technical positions are available for entry-level, mid-level, and senior level professionals.
Explore Open Positions
Donate to the Animal Welfare Data Center
Your donations to the Animal Welfare Data Center empower individuals and organizations to make a…
If you share our passion for animal welfare and want to get involved in our efforts, we encourage you to report any incidents you have observed or experienced using our incident form or you can reach out to learn more about how you can help. Join us in our mission to improve the welfare of animals and make a lasting impact on the lives of our companions. Some examples of incidents you can report are:
- Costs incurred from having to treat injuries and illnesses that occurred while in the shelter
- Animals observed with visible injuries that are not receiving medical treatment while in the shelter
- Evidence of insufficient/improper veterinarian care which resulted in injury or death of an animal
- Evidence of misuse of resources by the shelter or other violations of shelter policies
Do you have questions or information about the current animal care and control crisis?
While there is public information about the animal and human homelessness crisis, ongoing initiatives, and ways to get involved, finding the right resources can be challenging. You can submit questions through our website, and our team will respond with relevant resources if we can. We welcome community questions and feedback, so we can share these concerns with public decision-makers.