Looking Back at 2025: A Year of Action, Advocacy, and Impact in Animal Welfare
Looking Back at 2025: A Year of Action, Advocacy, and Impact in Animal Welfare
As the year comes to a close, it offers an opportunity to reflect not only on what was accomplished, but on what truly drives progress in animal welfare. Sustainable impact rarely comes from a single program or moment. Instead, it is built through consistent action, informed advocacy, and collaboration with shelters, rescues, and community organizations working every day to care for animals in need.
Throughout 2025, All Paws on Deck supported animal welfare efforts across multiple regions through donated pet care supplies, direct financial contributions, educational resources, and active advocacy for adoption and fostering. These efforts were intentionally designed to meet immediate needs while also supporting long-term outcomes for animals and the people who care for them.
This year-end reflection also serves as a resource for understanding the broader challenges facing animal welfare organizations and how thoughtful, targeted support can make a measurable difference.
The Current Landscape of Animal Welfare in the United States
Animal shelters and rescue organizations continue to face sustained pressure nationwide. According to data from Shelter Animals Count, many communities are experiencing higher than average intake rates, driven by economic stress, housing instability, and limited access to affordable veterinary care. At the same time, shelters face rising costs for food, staffing, medical treatment, and facility operations.
Common challenges include:
Overcrowding and limited kennel capacity
Increased costs of veterinary services and medications
Inconsistent access to donated food and supplies
Limited foster availability, particularly for large dogs, seniors, and medical cases
The Humane Society of the United States has noted that these pressures make it increasingly difficult for shelters to maintain quality care without sustained external support, particularly flexible funding and community engagement.
Sources: Shelter Animals Count; Humane Society of the United States
Supporting Daily Care Through Product Donations
Donated pet care supplies play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of shelters and rescue groups. Items such as food, grooming products, beds, toys, and general care supplies allow organizations to redirect financial resources toward veterinary care, behavioral support, and staffing.
Throughout 2025, All Paws on Deck provided pet supplies and care products to humane societies and rescue organizations across multiple states. These donations helped offset operating costs during periods of increased intake and ongoing demand, ensuring animals continued to receive consistent care.
The ASPCA emphasizes that in-kind donations are especially valuable during times of high intake or emergency response, when shelters must scale care quickly and budgets are already strained.
Source: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
The Importance of Flexible Financial Support
While donated supplies are essential, unrestricted financial contributions remain one of the most effective forms of nonprofit support. Flexible funding allows shelters and rescue organizations to respond immediately to urgent needs, whether that involves emergency veterinary care, facility repairs, transport costs, or temporary staffing shortages.
In 2025, All Paws on Deck provided monetary support to a range of animal welfare organizations, including humane societies, regional rescue groups, and programs supporting service dogs and veteran-focused initiatives. By prioritizing unrestricted support, these contributions enabled organizations to allocate resources where they were most urgently needed.
Nonprofit research consistently shows that flexible funding improves organizational stability and increases long-term impact by allowing leaders to respond dynamically to changing conditions.
Source: National Council of Nonprofits
Advocacy in Action: Adoption and Foster Support
Beyond material and financial support, direct advocacy for adoption and fostering played a central role in All Paws on Deck’s work throughout 2025. Promoting individual animals in need of homes increases visibility, reduces length of stay in shelters, and improves outcomes for animals awaiting placement.
Throughout the year, All Paws on Deck actively highlighted adoptable dogs from shelters across several regions, helping connect animals with potential adopters and foster families. In many cases, fostering was emphasized as a critical and immediate lifesaving option, particularly for dogs needing recovery time, behavioral decompression, or placement with their puppies.
According to Maddie’s Fund and the ASPCA, foster-based programs significantly reduce shelter overcrowding and euthanasia rates while improving adoption success. Foster placements also provide shelters with valuable insight into an animal’s behavior in a home environment, increasing the likelihood of successful permanent placement.
Sources: Maddie’s Fund; ASPCA
Education as a Tool for Long-Term Impact
Education remained a cornerstone of All Paws on Deck’s mission throughout 2025. A growing library of research-informed articles was developed to support pet owners, adopters, and foster families with practical, accessible guidance.
Topics addressed during the year included:
How rescue dogs transition from shelters into therapy and service roles, exploring training standards, behavioral evaluation, and the lasting benefits these programs create for both animals and the people they serve
The critical role foster families play in saving lives by relieving shelter overcrowding, supporting medical and behavioral recovery, and increasing long-term adoption success
How chronic stress, fear, and environmental instability affect shelter animals, with practical insight into reducing anxiety and improving emotional wellbeing
Advocacy for senior pets, examining why older animals are frequently overlooked and how adoption can dramatically improve health, comfort, and quality of life
The importance of spay and neuter programs in addressing overpopulation, reducing strain on shelters, and preventing unnecessary euthanasia
Evidence-based guidance on canine joint health, including early warning signs, preventive care, and mobility support across every stage of life
The science behind healthy skin and coats, explaining how nutrition, skincare, and grooming practices work together to support overall health
Practical, everyday safety guidance to help families identify household hazards, reduce environmental risks, and create safer living spaces for pets
How fireworks, loud noises, and sensory triggers affect animals, along with strategies to minimize stress and prevent fear-based behaviors
Seasonal pet safety education focused on changing environmental risks, weather-related concerns, and common household dangers throughout the year
A comprehensive, dog-safe approach to holiday foods, providing clear guidance on what can be safely shared and which Thanksgiving foods pose health risks
Compassionate resources for navigating grief after the loss of a beloved pet, including ways to honor their life and process loss in a healthy way
Information on supporting animals affected by natural disasters and emergencies, including preparedness, response, and recovery considerations
Educational content outlining All Paws on Deck’s approach to animal welfare, including how strategic partnerships, targeted giving, and advocacy efforts translate into measurable support for shelters, rescues, and the animals they serve
The Humane Society of the United States notes that access to reliable, evidence-based education reduces preventable relinquishment and improves long-term adoption outcomes by helping families better understand animal needs.
Source: Humane Society of the United States
How Individuals Can Support Animal Welfare Year-Round
Supporting animal welfare does not require a single large action. Consistent, informed efforts can collectively make a meaningful difference. Effective ways individuals can help include:
Adopting or fostering through local shelters and rescue groups
Donating needed supplies directly from shelter wish lists
Providing unrestricted financial support when possible
Volunteering time or professional skills
Supporting spay and neuter initiatives in local communities
Sharing credible, evidence-based educational resources
The most impactful support often comes from understanding the specific needs of local organizations and responding thoughtfully.
Moving Forward
Looking ahead, All Paws on Deck remains committed to supporting animal welfare initiatives through thoughtful giving, education, and advocacy. The work of 2025 reinforced an essential truth: lasting progress depends on collaboration, consistency, and informed action.
As shelters and rescue organizations continue to navigate evolving challenges, collective efforts remain the foundation of meaningful change, helping ensure that animals and the people who care for them receive the support they deserve.
Sources:
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Humane Society of the United States
Maddie’s Fund
National Council of Nonprofits
Shelter Animals Count, National Database Reports