Here's what I found...
Yes - there are some fairly hard-numbers you can use to express ROI / cost savings per adoption, but they usually aren't published as a neat "ROI per dog adopted" metric. Instead, shelters/rescues estimate ROI using:
avoidable cost = (daily cost of care) × (days not housed) + avoidable medical/overhead risk
So the best "specific ROI numbers" come from per-diem cost studies and length-of-stay (LOS) data.
Below are the most defensible numeric ranges and how to turn them into adoption "savings".
1) The most usable ROI number: Cost per dog per day in shelter
A. Government fiscal estimate: $18 per day
A Virginia legislative fiscal impact estimate states:
Average animal stay: 27 days
Cost: $18.00 per day
�
legacylis.virginia.gov
That implies $486 per animal per stay (27 × 18).
This is one of the cleanest "public-sector per diem" numbers you can cite because it is explicit.
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Josh Bowen
Animal Caregiver
Calvert Animal Welfare League
MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2026 12:54 PM
From: Debra Schafer
Subject: Data on pet adoption cost savings
Does anyone know of specific data - i.e. numbers - that captures the cost savings to rescues and/or shelters when a dog is adopted? I know that daily care, housing, food, and medical expenses reduce, but am looking for specific ROI numbers if they exist. Thank you.
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
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Debra Schafer
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