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The ASPCA has published a history of its work with dogs as part of its 160th-anniversary year, tracing a shift from protecting working dogs to sheltering, rehabilitation and adoption programs. The organization cites 2025 shelter and service figures, including 2.8 million dogs entering U.S. shelters and more than 129,000 spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats performed by the ASPCA and ASPCA-funded clinics.
The ASPCA has published a history of its work with dogs as part of its 160th-anniversary coverage in 2026, describing a shift from protecting animals used to haul goods in 19th-century cities to supporting shelter, rehabilitation, veterinary care and adoption programs. The account also points to the continuing demand for those services: the ASPCA reports that 2.8 million dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025.
The ASPCA says founder Henry Bergh helped pass a New York State law in 1867 requiring licenses for dogs used to pull carts. The organization’s account says the law was partly shaped by the state’s legal treatment of the dogs as vehicles, while licensing also helped establish ownership. Licensing later expanded to pet dogs. The ASPCA administered New York City’s dog licensing program for about a century and says it licensed as many as 250,000 dogs annually by the mid-20th century, with fees helping support shelter and rescue work.
The report describes early shelters modeled on horse stables, where dogs were kept together in pens or enclosures. In the last five months of 1895, after the ASPCA took on New York City’s animal care contract in 1894, it took in more than 21,000 dogs, according to the organization. The account contrasts those facilities with later changes to dog housing and current services, including rehabilitation for fearful or abused dogs, foster care, veterinary treatment and transport to areas where animals may have better adoption prospects.
For recent activity, the ASPCA says its Animal Relocation program moved 300,000 animals between 2014 and 2025, including more than 217,000 dogs. In 2025, the organization and ASPCA-funded clinics performed more than 129,000 spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats, and provided veterinary and behavioral care for 109,000 animals. In New York City, nearly 600 volunteers are on the ASPCA’s dog-foster roster; 145 dogs spent time in foster homes there during 2025.
From Cart Dogs to Shelter Care
The history offers a view of how the role of dogs in American life and the systems around their care have changed. In the 1860s, some dogs were working animals used to pull carts, and early licensing addressed both their use and ownership. The ASPCA’s account describes a later expansion toward sheltering, adoption and services intended to address animals’ health and behavior needs.
The numbers cited put that history alongside a present-day challenge: millions of dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025, according to the ASPCA. Programs such as fostering, transport, low- or no-cost veterinary services and fee-waived adoption campaigns are among the approaches the organization says it uses to support animals and shelters. The report does not establish how much any one program changes national shelter outcomes, but it shows the range of services the ASPCA currently describes as part of its work.
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A 160-Year Shift in Dog Care
The ASPCA was founded in 1866, when dogs commonly worked as hunters, herders and guardians and some city residents relied on dogs to pull carts or turn treadmills. The organization’s timeline also places dog domestication far earlier: it says humans began forming partnerships with wolves as communities settled and agriculture developed, more than 14,000 years ago. That material provides historical framing for the report, rather than new research announced in 2026.
The organization says it assumed New York City’s animal care contract in 1894. Its account follows shelter and training efforts through the 20th century: the ASPCA began public dog-obedience courses in 1944 and says 20,000 owned dogs had taken part by 1964. Today, its listed rehabilitation facilities are in Pawling, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and Weaverville, North Carolina. Its Manhattan Adoption Center includes indoor training rooms and kennels for adoptable dogs.
““Dogs are the most popular companion animal in the United States.””
— The ASPCA, in its 2026 historical report
What the Report Does Not Measure
The account is an organizational history published by the ASPCA, and its service totals are figures supplied by the organization. It does not provide independent verification, detailed methods for each count, or a breakdown of outcomes such as how many dogs were adopted after rehabilitation, fostering or relocation. The reported 2.8 million shelter entries are a national figure for 2025; the report does not explain the counting method or say how many dogs entered more than once.
The report also does not quantify the effect of its programs on overall shelter intake, length of stay or euthanasia rates. Its description of current campaigns and services should not be read as proof that any particular intervention produces a specified result. The ASPCA says its Rescue Effect campaign involves more than 500 shelters, with grants helping 200 waive adoption fees, but the account does not state how many adoptions resulted.
Campaigns and Care Continue
The ASPCA says it is in the final month of its Rescue Effect campaign, partnering with more than 500 shelters nationwide and providing grant funds to 200 of them to waive adoption fees. The source does not give a campaign end date or final adoption total. Readers can expect the organization’s 2026 anniversary coverage to continue, though the report does not set out a publication schedule or announce a new policy.
For people considering adoption or fostering, the account points to local shelters and the ASPCA’s listed services as places to seek current information. Future reporting would be needed to establish the campaign’s final results and to assess how the organization’s programs affect shelter outcomes over time.
Key Questions
What did the ASPCA announce?
The ASPCA published a historical account of its work with dogs during its 160th-anniversary year in 2026. It traces developments from licensing and care for working dogs to modern shelter, rehabilitation and adoption services.
How many dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025?
The ASPCA says 2.8 million dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025. The report does not provide the counting method or a breakdown of repeat entries.
What recent services and results does the ASPCA report?
The organization says its Animal Relocation program moved more than 217,000 dogs between 2014 and 2025. It also reports that it and ASPCA-funded clinics performed more than 129,000 spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats in 2025 and provided veterinary and behavioral care for 109,000 animals.
How can people support shelter dogs?
The ASPCA’s account describes adoption, fostering and shelter support as parts of its work. People can contact local shelters about available dogs, foster opportunities and current adoption-fee programs; availability and requirements vary by organization.
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