2025 Year in Review

Holbrook Animal Care & Control

2025 was an exceptionally demanding year for Holbrook’s Animal Shelter!

Throughout the year, the City of Holbrook’s Animal Control and the Friends (that’s us!) helped start and continue critical programs aimed at keeping pets with their families whenever possible. These included Holbrook’s Pet Food Bank and multiple clinics for low-cost vaccines and microchips, all designed to reduce surrender rates and improve animal welfare. We hope to continue these programs as resources allow.

The Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program continued in 2025 with the aim of controlling the stray cat population. In addition, our wonderful ACOs responded to 4 large hoarding cases, each requiring extensive time, coordination, and resources which the Friends and our local supporters were quick to provide. We are always amazed at our community and our regional partners who step up to help in these times of crisis.

In total, our ACOs responded to over 1,000 calls for service in 2025. These calls included stray animals, welfare checks, neglect and abuse investigations, and 29 animal bite cases.

Shelter Intake for 2025 totaled 527 animals, including:

• 86 kittens
• 122 puppies
• 97 cats
• 222 dogs

2025 Outcomes: 91% LIVE in 2025

• 206 animals adopted
• 84 returned to their owners
• 168 transferred to rescue partners or other shelters
• 45 humanely euthanized due to severe medical conditions or dangerous aggression

We even had a few surprise guests this year—chickens, goats, and one box turtle.

In our busiest month, our shelter took in 77 dogs and cats.

The volume and complexity of cases handled in 2025 clearly demonstrate the growing need for animal services in our community. This work would not be possible without the continued support of our adopters, rescue partners, and dedicated volunteers who work behind the scenes.

Your support is not just appreciated—it is essential. Your support truly makes a difference.

Here’s to another year of serving the animals and people of our community