The third annual event builds on two consecutive years of impactful results. When California Adopt-a-Pet Day launched in 2024, 3,609 animals found loving homes — far outpacing initial goals. In 2025, animal welfare organizations adopted out 4,979 pets in a single day. This year, organizers are aiming to clear 5,000 adoptions for the first time.
Animal shelters across California will offer fee-waived adoptions, with the ASPCA providing grants to underwrite fees at most participating organizations. Last year, nearly 150 shelters participated across the state. California animal welfare organizations interested in participating this year have until May 8, 2026, to register at caadoptapetday.org.
"Two years in, California Adopt-a-Pet Day is proving what we've always known: when people walk through the doors of their local shelters, they discover just how easy it is to adopt—and inevitably find a cherished new member of their family," said Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals. "Nearly 5,000 animals found homes last June. This year, we're aiming to surpass that milestone, and shelters across California are ready to make it happen."
Of the 4,979 animals adopted on last year's California Adopt-a-Pet Day, 2,847 were cats, 1,900 were dogs, and 231 were rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small animals. Of the adopters, 46% were doing so for the very first time. Animals of all breeds, ages, sizes, and energy levels are available at participating shelters, all of which routinely vaccinate, spay/neuter, and microchip animals before adoption.
"Through this collaborative effort, nearly 5,000 animals were able to go home in a single day, with almost half of those adopters doing it for the first time," says Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, CEO of the San Francisco SPCA. "Shelters across California are full of extraordinary animals who are ready for loving homes right now. California Adopt-a-Pet Day gives people a reason to walk through the door, and once they do, the rest takes care of itself."
The event comes as animal shelters nationwide continue to face ongoing capacity pressures from staffing shortages, limited pet-friendly housing, and a lack of affordable veterinary care. In 2025, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. animal shelters and rescue organizations. California Adopt-a-Pet Day was designed in part as a direct response to these challenges, removing cost as a barrier to adoption and drawing attention to the animals most in need of homes.
Only about 30 percent of households are choosing to adopt their pets from shelters or rescue organizations with the rest acquiring animals from other sources. So, raising that rate by just a few percentage points would result in thousands of adoptable animals finding new homes each year.
"Choosing adoption is a powerful action that benefits both animals and people—in California and nationwide. When you adopt from a shelter, you provide a loving home to one animal while also freeing up space and resources to help other animals in need," said Lindsay McCall, Vice President, Shelter Partnerships, ASPCA. "By removing adoption barriers, shelters and rescues are opening doors for more animals and more families. The ASPCA is proud to continue supporting shelters participating in California Adopt-a-Pet Day to help more animals find adoptive homes."
California Adopt-a-Pet Day is managed by CalAnimals, an organization that focuses on the success of California animal welfare and sheltering organizations in meeting the needs of animals and people in their communities. The initiative is generously supported by the San Francisco SPCA, a nonprofit that works in San Francisco, the Central Valley, and across California to ensure that every companion animal has access to quality medical care, compassionate shelter, and a loving home, and the ASPCA, the longest-standing animal welfare organization in North America that works on the frontlines to save, transform, and protect the lives of millions of dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals in the fight against animal cruelty and homelessness.
The California Adopt-a-Pet Day website has an interactive map, making it easy for residents to find nearby participating animal shelters leading up to the event. To learn more, please visit caadoptapetday.org and use #caadoptapetday on social media to see the latest updates.
About CalAnimals
The California Animal Welfare Association ("CalAnimals") was formed in 2018 through a merger between California's two statewide animal-welfare associations: the California Animal Control Directors Association (CACDA) and the State Humane Association of California (SHAC). The organization exists to support the success of animal welfare and sheltering organizations in meeting the needs of animals and people in their communities. Programs and activities include trainings, conferences, certifications, disaster response, leadership development, legislative advocacy, and more. For more information, visit calanimals.org.
About the San Francisco SPCA
The San Francisco SPCA is an independent, community-supported, nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving, protecting, and providing immediate care for cats and dogs who are homeless, ill, or in need of an advocate. The SF SPCA also works long-term to educate the community, reduce the number of unwanted kittens and puppies through spaying and neutering, and improve the quality of life for animals and their human companions. The organization does not receive government funding. For more information, visit sfspca.org.
About the ASPCA®
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) believes every animal deserves to live free from suffering. For 160 years, we've been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect millions of lives in the fight against animal cruelty. As the nation's first and leading animal welfare organization, we assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal relocation and placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary communities through research, training and resources. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than 2 million supporters nationwide, our commitment to eliminating animal cruelty is unwavering. For more information, visit aspca.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
SOURCE ASPCA
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