Ever wonder how your community’s shelter lifesaving stacks up? We’ve just updated our comparative database with 2012 data, with 2013 on its way early next year!

Today’s Veterinary Practice and Banfield Pet Hospital have partnered to publish the data garnered by Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge (BARK), based on veterinary records from its 850 hospitals and 2.4 million pets treated each year.

If your organization isn’t keeping data, or you’re not sure your current practices are giving you the information you need to save more animals, the National Federation of Humane Societies has created a data matrix form, instructions and definitions that can help.

The National Federation of Humane Societies is asking animal sheltering organizations nationwide to take a short (about 10-minute) survey on what data they collect and how they use it. They’ll be using the information to develop support and training resources.

Few things are as controversial in the animal welfare world as free pet adoptions, primarily out of concern that the homes the pets go to won’t be as good as those where the adopter pays a fee. A recent study concludes those concerns are unjustified.