What Does Animal Services Actually Cost?
Shelters across the country are severely underfunded because their budgets were built for a system that no longer exists. Your community expects humane care, lifesaving programs, and responsive service. This calculator shows what that costs.
How This Works
Most county animal control budgets were written years ago and never updated. They were not built for a community that expects live release, responsive field service, and humane care. They were built to process animals. This calculator shows the difference between what you are funding and what it actually costs to do the job your residents expect. Enter your county's shelter data below.
Methodology is based on the HASS (Human Animal Support Services) framework developed by Austin Pets Alive, which benchmarked shelter costs against private industry standards for similar functions.
Pre-loaded with Jefferson County, Alabama data. Hit "Clear for New County" to enter your own numbers.
Shelter / Jurisdiction Information
Annual Intake
Facility and Calls
Outcome Goals
Default values reflect industry best-practice targets. Adjust to match your jurisdiction's goals.
Budget Breakdown by Category
What if you could reduce intake before it hits the shelter?
Open the Impact CalculatorIf these numbers match what you are seeing in your budget, let us show you what prevention saves. We have built the case for your commissioners.
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