How a KC shelter cut animal stays from 257 days to 13

• About 607,000 animals were euthanized in 2024, and while euthanasia rates have dropped from 13% in 2019 to 8% last year, shelters still report more animals coming in than going out.
• At the same time, the median stay for large dogs nationally has nearly doubled since 2019, reaching 20 days in 2024, compared with 14 for small dogs.

Zoom in: The Kansas City Humane Society, a no-kill shelter, cut its number of days animals stayed in the shelter from 257 to 13.

• That higher baseline was partly because animals are never euthanized for space, meaning pets could sit in kennels for months before being adopted.

The big picture: Overland Park-based Hill's Pet Nutrition says that even as they take in fewer animals, shelters remain full, driven by adoption costs, housing limits and access to vet care.

Case in point: Humane Society of Greater Kansas City CEO Sydney Mollentine said she knew change was needed when she saw the shelter's old system.

• "We had a 14-page adoption application, background checks, landlord approvals and no walkthroughs, which could take weeks to finalize and made it difficult for people to adopt," she told Axios. "It felt like we were looking for reasons to say no rather than yes."

How it worked: Mollentine said her team worked with Kansas State's Shelter Medicine program to overhaul operations and cut adoption barriers.

• Hill's supplies food for every animal in the shelter and sends adopters home with kits that include food, coupons and supplies.
• The company also stocks the Humane Society's pet food pantry, which is open to anyone in need, no restrictions, and helps families keep animals at home instead of surrendering them.

• "Barriers don't equal better placements, they just create bottlenecks and leave pets waiting far too long for homes they could thrive in," Mollentine said.

What they're saying: Dr. Chelsie Estey, U.S. chief veterinary officer at Hill's, said younger adults often want to adopt but get caught in a "pet-parent paradox."

• "We've also uncovered an emotional hurdle: a feeling that they need to achieve a 'perfect' pet-parent lifestyle before they can adopt," said Estey.

What they found: According to Hill's 2025 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, nearly 63% of Americans say they'd consider adopting, but only about a quarter actually do. Among the top reasons people give for not adopting:

• 38% of Gen Z and millennials cite the upfront cost of adoption.
• Almost half cite housing restrictions that make pet ownership difficult.

The bottom line: While dogs elsewhere can sit in kennels for months, KC shows how dropping barriers can speed up adoptions.