Author: Lou Garrison

Executive Summary

This report examines eight years of Madera County Animal Services (MCAS) operational data obtained through the California Public Records Act to evaluate trends in Calls for Service and shelter intakes between 2018 and 2025.

Calls for Service increased from 2,955 in 2018 to 4,127 in 2025, a 39.7% increase, while total shelter intakes declined from 5,812 to 2,889 animals, a 50.3% decrease. Although both measures declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, Calls for Service recovered to exceed pre-pandemic levels, while shelter intakes remained substantially below baseline levels.

This report documents a significant divergence between increasing public demand for Animal Services and declining shelter intake. It does not identify the causes of these trends, but it does provide an evidence-based assessment of operational changes using publicly available records.

Key Findings

• Calls for service increased 39.7% from 2018 to 2025.
• Shelter intakes declined 50.3% in the same period.
• Calls for service increased while shelter intakes declined substantially over the reporting period, resulting in a pronounced divergence between public demand for service and shelter intake.

Executive Summary

Between 2018 and 2025, total animal shelter intakes declined by 50.3%, while City of Madera stray animal intakes increased by 17.5%. As a result, City animals represented a substantially larger proportion of total shelter intakes than they did eight years earlier.

This report examines whether that proportional increase reflects a significant increase in City-related shelter utilization or is primarily attributable to declining intakes from other jurisdictions. The report presents historical intake data and related operational metrics without making policy recommendations.

Key Findings

• Total shelter intakes declined by 50.3% between 2018 and 2025.
• City of Madera stray animal calls increased modestly by 17.5% during the same period.
• Estimated non-City shelter intakes declined by approximately 72.5%, indicating that proportional increases in City-related shelter utilization are impacted exceptionally by decreases in non-City animal intakes.

Executive Summary

This report examines long-term trends in animal shelter operations at the Madera County Animal Shelter using annual aggregate data from 2018 through 2025 obtained through the California Public Records Act. The analysis evaluates changes in shelter intake, animal outcomes, and average length of stay to establish an objective historical record of shelter operations over the eight-year reporting period.

The data show that annual shelter intake declined by 50.3% between 2018 and 2025. During the same period, annual adoptions declined by 69.8%, Other Live Releases declined by 62.0%, and the euthanasia rate increased from 17.7% of annual intake in 2018 to 39.6% in 2025. Average length of stay also declined, indicating that animals generally spent less time in the shelter before reaching an outcome. 

This report is descriptive in nature and does not attempt to determine the causes of these trends. Rather, it documents how shelter intake, animal outcomes, and average length of stay changed over time using official records provided by the Madera County Animal Shelter.

Key Findings

• Shelter Intake: Declined by 50.3%
• Annual Adoptions: Declined by 69.8%
• Annual Other Live Releases (including transfers): Declined by 62.0%
• Euthanasia Rate: Increased from 17.7% of intakes in 2018 to 39.6% in 2025.
• Average Length of Stay: Decreased by 35.6%