Data & Reports

In 2023 5,001 pets entered Chatham County animal shelters and the combined save rate for those pets was 80%.

1. Chatham County Animal Services: 2,450 intakes, 63% save rate

2. Humane Society for Greater Savannah: 2,551 intakes, 97% save rate

A save rate of 90% and above is the current national benchmark for being considered “no-kill.” This means that we have 1 out of 2 shelters considered ‘no-kill’ but for a community to be considered a ‘no-kill’ community, all of its shelters must be saving 90 percent or more collectively. Setting a numerical goal is important for tracking success but a no-kill community is ultimately one that acts on the belief that every healthy, adoptable dog and cat should be saved, and that its focus should be on saving as many lives as possible through pet adoption, spay/neuter, trap-neuter-return and other community support programs rather than achieving a specific numerical outcome. See our mission page for more details.