Glossary of Terms

A) Beginning Shelter Count (date): The number of dogs and cats in your shelter or in your care including fosters at the beginning of the reporting period. The reporting period is annual – either a calendar year or a fiscal year. (date) refers to the first day of the reporting period written in the following format: month/day/year.

Intake (Live Dogs & Cats Only): This table only deals with live dogs and cats for which your shelter or animal group assumed responsibility. Dogs and cats categorized as "dead on arrival" or DOA are not included in these statistics. For intake animals, status is determined at the time paperwork is initiated.

B) From the Public: The number of live dogs and cats your shelter or animal group received from the public. This includes dogs and cats turned in or surrendered by their owners/guardians; stray dogs and cats turned in by the public; stray dogs and cats picked up in the field; and dogs and cats impounded for cruelty investigation, custody care, and statutory/ordinance impoundment.

C) Incoming Transfers from Organizations within Community/Coalition: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group received from other animal organizations participating in your collaborative group. (This only applies if the reporting organization is working collaboratively with other shelters/groups in their area.) NOTE: On the community or coalition level, C (Incoming Transfers from Organizations within Community/Coalition) should equal J (Outgoing Transfers to Organizations within Community/Coalition).

D) Incoming Transfers from Organizations outside Community/Coalition: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group received from animal organizations that are not participating in your collaborative group. NOTE: If you are not part of a collaboration that is compiling statistics, then all your incoming transfers would be listed here.

E) From Owners/Guardians Requesting Euthanasia: The number of dogs and cats turned in or surrendered to your shelter or animal group by their owners/guardians for the purpose of euthanasia. This includes all categories of dogs and cats (healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable). [See M, N, O, P for definitions of healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable.]

F) Total Intake: The sum of lines B through E. This includes all live dogs and cats for which your shelter or animal group assumed responsibility.

G) Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia (Unhealthy & Untreatable Only): The number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians and the number of dogs and cats ordered to be euthanized by legislative, judicial or administrative action. Do not include any dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians and who were considered to be healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable or treatable-manageable at the time of death. [See M, N, O, P for definitions of healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable.]

H) Adjusted Total Intake: Lines F minus G. Total Intake minus the number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians. [See P for definition of unhealthy & untreatable category.]

I) Adoptions: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group placed with members of the public. Do not include dogs and cats in foster homes or dogs and cats transferred to other animal welfare organizations.

J) Outgoing Transfers to Organizations within Community/Coalition: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group turned over to other animal organizations within your collaborative group. (This only applies if the reporting organization is working collaboratively with other shelters/groups in their area.) NOTE: On the community or coalition level, J (Outgoing Transfers to Organizations within Community/Coalition) should be equal to C (Incoming Transfers from Organizations within Community/Coalition).

K) Outgoing Transfers to Organizations outside Community/Coalition: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group turned over to animal organizations that are not part of your collaborative group. NOTE: If you are not part of a collaboration which is compiling statistics, then all your outgoing transfers would be listed here.

L) Return to Owner/Guardian: The number of stray dogs and cats your shelter or animal group reunited with their owners/guardians and the number of dogs and cats reclaimed by their owners/guardians.

Dogs & Cats Euthanized: The number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized, broken down into the following categories: healthy; treatable-rehabilitatable; treatable-manageable; and unhealthy & untreatable. Dogs and cats are categorized at the time of euthanasia. [See M, N, O, P for definitions of healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable.]

M) Healthy (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia): The number of healthy dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized including the number of healthy dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians.

The term "healthy" means and includes all dogs and cats eight weeks of age or older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet, and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future.

N) Treatable – Rehabilitatable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia): The number of treatable – rehabilitatable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized including the number of treatable – rehabilitatable dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians. (These conditions are generally considered to be curable.)

The term "treatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are "rehabilitatable" and all dogs and cats who are "manageable." The term "rehabilitatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are not "healthy," but who are likely to become "healthy," if given medical, foster, behavioral, or other care equivalent to the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community.

O) Treatable – Manageable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia): The number of treatable – manageable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized including the number of treatable – manageable dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians. (These conditions are generally considered to be chronic.)

The term "treatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are "rehabilitatable" and all dogs and cats who are "manageable." The term "manageable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are not "healthy" and who are not likely to become "healthy," regardless of the care provided; but who would likely maintain a satisfactory quality of life, if given medical, foster, behavioral, or other care, including long-term care, equivalent to the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community; provided, however, that the term "manageable" does not include any dog or cat who is determined to pose a significant risk to human health or safety or to the health or safety of other animals.

P) Unhealthy & Untreatable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia): The number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized including the number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians and the number of dogs and cats ordered to be euthanized by legislative, judicial or administrative action.

The term "Unhealthy and Untreatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who, at or subsequent to the time they are taken into possession, (1) have a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that poses a health or safety risk or otherwise makes the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet, and are not likely to become "healthy" or "treatable" even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community; or (2) are suffering from a disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the animal's health or is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future, and are not likely to become "healthy" or "treatable" even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community; or (3) are under the age of eight weeks and are not likely to become "healthy" or "treatable," even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community.

Q) Total Euthanasia: Sum of lines M through P. This includes all dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized (Healthy, Treatable – Rehabilitatable, Treatable – Manageable, and Unhealthy & Untreatable). [See M, N, O, P for definitions of healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable.]

R) Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia (Unhealthy & Untreatable Only): The number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians and the number of dogs and cats ordered to be euthanized by legislative, judicial or administrative action. Do not include any dogs and cats your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians and who were considered to be healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable or treatable-manageable at the time of death. [See M, N, O, P for definitions of healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable, unhealthy & untreatable.]

S) Adjusted Total Euthanasia: Total Euthanasia minus Owner/Guardian Request Euthanasia (Unhealthy & Untreatable Only). [See P for definition of unhealthy & untreatable category.]

T) Subtotal Outcomes: Sum of lines I through L plus S. This includes the number of dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group adopted, transferred, returned to owner/guardian. Do not include the number of dogs and cats who died or were lost while in your shelter or in your care or the number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians or the number of dogs and cats ordered to be euthanized by legislative, judicial or administrative action. [See P for definition of unhealthy & untreatable category.]

U) Died or Lost in Shelter/Care: The number of dogs and cats for which your shelter or animal group assumed responsibility and who died or could not be accounted for. This includes the number of dogs and cats who died of medical complications (and were not euthanized), died in foster care or in transit, or were lost or stolen from the shelter.

V) Total Outcomes: Sum of lines T and U. This is the total number of dog and cat outcomes which includes the number of dogs and cats your shelter or animal group adopted, transferred, returned to owner/guardian plus the number of dogs and cats for which your shelter or animal group assumed responsibility and who died of medical complications (and were not euthanized) or were lost or stolen (from the shelter or foster care). Total outcomes do not include the number of unhealthy & untreatable dogs and cats that your shelter or animal group euthanized at the request of their owners/guardians or the number of dogs and cats ordered to be euthanized by legislative, judicial or administrative action. [See P for definition of unhealthy & untreatable category.]

W) Ending Shelter Count (date): The number of dogs and cats in your shelter or in your care including fosters at the end of the reporting period. The reporting period is annual – either a calendar year or a fiscal year. (date) refers to the last day of the reporting period written in the following format: month/day/year.

Special Note: To calculate the Annual Live Release Rate for your community or coalition, each participating shelter or animal group will need to fill out the Annual Animal Statistics Table for their individual organization. The reporting organization for the community/coalition will then compile this information for all the groups in one table and follow the instructions for calculating the community/coalition rate.