Record 840 pets adopted from Minneapolis Animal Control in 2022

This year was notable for many reasons, but it was an especially good one for animals in Minneapolis.

The city’s animal welfare division shattered its record of animal adoptions for a calendar year.

Animal Care & Control had 840 animal adoptions in 2022. That’s a 14% increase over 2019, which was the previous record year. Another 549 animals were transferred to rescue partners.

“We are busy all the time,” said Madison Weissenborn with Animal Care & Control. “Every single day we see cruelty, we see neglect, we see hoarding. We see really dark stuff, but we’re all here for the same reason. We’re here to find that happiness for them and give them the love and honestly compassion and patience that they deserve.”

Animal Control says cats (475) were the most adopted pets, followed by dogs (340), birds (14) and other animals (11).

Next year, Animal Care & Control is going to start foster field trips. You can take a dog out to your home or a park and return them at the end of the day.

The department says its staff — two veterinarians, three veterinary technicians, four animals care technicians and 12 animal control officers — works with residents to try to create safe and healthy communities for pets and humans alike. Additionally, Minneapolis Animal Control utilized more than 7,000 volunteer hours over the year to help animals at the shelter.

More information on adopting animals, volunteering or supporting Animal Control can be found online.