We made our first Ohio shelter visit to HSOV in Marietta, where a dedicated team of 17 is managing double the animals their facility was built to hold. From the reality of overcrowding to the inspiring concept of "virtual fostering," look inside their daily climb—and discover how you can help.

Edgewater Animal Services in Florida serves as a model open-intake shelter by prioritizing high-quality care, managing animal control for multiple municipalities, and acting as a true resource for its community. Under Director Roxanne's decade-long leadership, the nonprofit utilizes a selective adoption process and a specialized "Silver Paws" program to ensure high-quality, long-term placements. Smart, innovative strategies, transparency with staff and public, and partnering are a few of the keys to their success.

CARES Clarksdale Animal Rescue Effort and Shelter is aptly named, as it is a shelter that truly cares. When asked what they are doing that is driving their success, tabi and Anita talked about three things. First, transparency about their debt, their intakes, and their problems. “They see what we see,” Gabi told us. The shelter belongs to the community, and they trust that community with the truth about the situation. The second thing they are always be kind and receptive. “People need to be heard. They need to know someone cares.” The staff responds to every request for help, every inquiry, every call. And the third thing is harnessing the power of social media. Anita posts on all the platforms with stories, requests, information, pictures, and videos. This enables them to find help not just in Clarksdale, but beyond.

In Clark County, Arkansas, they have a lot of dogs, but they also have a lot of good people who care. The sheriff and his deputies keep dog food in their cars so they can feed the strays. The Humane Society of Clark County in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, is a nonprofit shelter that has been in their current downtown location since 2005.  The worn-out building has flooded twice. They are currently full with more than 80 dogs in a space that could more comfortably house 30. HSCC is committed to not euthanizing for anything except extreme medical situations, but that creates a catch-22. They can’t bring dogs in because they are overfull, but leaving them to roam will only lead to the dogs multiplying, thus compounding the problem. It’s a familiar scenario all over the south.

Better Together Dog Rescue in western Massachusetts is led by a smart group of women who are finding a way to save lives near and far.

Animal Friends, a nonprofit shelter in Pittsburgh, PA, helped 1361 animals find forever homes in 2024, but here are a few even more amazing numbers: They assisted 39,365 pet owners in the Pittsburgh area giving out 203,487 pounds of food, administering 21,055 vaccines, and spaying/neutering 5478 animals.