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The ASPCA is sharing stories from its 160-year history in 2026, tracing how its work with dogs has changed from protecting animals used to pull carts to supporting shelter care, rehabilitation, veterinary services, fostering and adoption. The organization reports that 2.8 million dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025, while its programs and partnerships aim to help dogs receive care and find homes.
The ASPCA is marking 160 years of animal-welfare work in 2026 with a history of how its approach to dogs has developed, from protecting animals used to haul carts to providing shelter, rehabilitation, veterinary care and adoption support. The retrospective comes as the organization reports that 2.8 million dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025.
When the ASPCA was founded in 1866, dogs commonly worked as hunters, herders and guardians. In cities, people who could not afford horses or donkeys used dogs to pull carts and haul goods. The ASPCA’s founder, Henry Bergh, helped pass a New York State law in 1867 requiring licenses for dogs used to pull carts. Licensing also helped establish ownership, according to the organization’s account.
Dog licensing later extended to pets. The ASPCA says it administered New York City’s dog licensing program for about a century, licensing as many as 250,000 dogs annually by the mid-20th century. Fees helped fund sheltering and rescue work. The organization says it took in more than 21,000 dogs in the final five months of 1895, after taking on New York City’s animal-care contract the previous year.
The ASPCA describes a broader modern role that includes rehabilitation for rescued dogs, transfers to communities where animals may be more likely to be adopted, foster care and veterinary services. It reports that its Animal Relocation program moved more than 217,000 dogs among 300,000 animals relocated from 2014 through 2025. In 2025, the ASPCA and clinics it funded performed more than 129,000 spay-and-neuter surgeries for dogs and cats and provided veterinary and behavioral care to 109,000 animals.
Shelter Support Beyond Adoption
The account connects the ASPCA’s history to the scale of current shelter demand. The organization cites an estimate of 2.8 million dogs entering U.S. shelters in 2025, a figure that underscores the ongoing need for capacity, medical treatment, behavior support and placements—not just adoption listings.
Programs such as fostering and relocation can give dogs time to recover or help them reach communities with prospective adopters. The ASPCA says its New York City dog-foster roster has nearly 600 volunteers; 145 dogs spent time in foster homes there in 2025. It also says its Rescue Effect campaign partnered with more than 500 shelters nationwide, providing grants to 200 to support fee-waived adoptions. Those figures describe the organization’s reported activity, rather than independently measured outcomes such as how many dogs remained in homes long-term.
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From Cart Licenses to Care
The ASPCA’s retrospective places its earliest dog-related work in a period when dogs often had practical roles in households and city economies. Its 1867 licensing effort focused on cart-pulling dogs, while later licensing included companion animals and helped fund animal services.
Shelter conditions and services have also changed, the organization says. Early shelters housed dogs together in pens, while later facilities added individual kennels and outdoor runs. The ASPCA now describes dedicated rehabilitation facilities in Pawling, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and Weaverville, North Carolina, alongside a Manhattan adoption center with indoor training rooms. The organization also says it began public dog-obedience courses in 1944; by 1964, 20,000 owned dogs had taken part.
““That’s why the ASPCA and other animal welfare organizations around the globe promote Adopt a Shelter Dog Month each October.””
— ASPCA
Outcomes Not Detailed in Retrospective
The ASPCA’s report gives program totals but does not provide a full accounting of adoption outcomes, long-term placement rates or costs across the services described. It also does not state how many of the dogs entering U.S. shelters in 2025 were adopted, returned to owners, transferred or remained in care. The shelter-entry estimate is presented without further methodology in the supplied account, so its calculation and comparison with earlier years are not clear.
The report is an organizational retrospective and describes the ASPCA’s own history and activities. It does not independently assess how much each program contributed to changes in dog welfare nationwide.
Adoption Campaigns Continue
The ASPCA says its 2026 anniversary storytelling will continue throughout the year. Its account also places the Rescue Effect campaign in its final month at the time of publication, with grants helping participating shelters waive adoption fees. The organization promotes Adopt a Shelter Dog Month each October; its report does not specify a date for the next campaign announcement or provide updated results after the article’s publication.
Key Questions
Why is the ASPCA highlighting its history in 2026?
The ASPCA says it is sharing highlights from its 160-year history during 2026, the anniversary year of its 1866 founding.
How many dogs entered U.S. shelters in 2025?
The ASPCA cites an estimate of 2.8 million dogs entering U.S. shelters in 2025. The account does not give the estimate’s methodology or a comparison with other years.
What dog-related work did the ASPCA do in its early years?
Early work included protecting dogs used to pull carts. ASPCA founder Henry Bergh helped pass a New York State dog-licensing law in 1867; licensing later expanded to include pet dogs.
What services does the ASPCA say it provides for dogs today?
The organization describes sheltering, rehabilitation, relocation, veterinary and behavioral care, foster opportunities, adoption support and training. Its report includes program totals for some of those services but not full long-term outcome data.
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